Beauty for Ashes

The promises of God to His people are many. Promises of a future with Him. Promises of a life in Him with great eternal rewards. 'Beauty for ashes'


We mourn now and rightly so. We mourn with a great heaviness of heart, with a spirit heavy with grief, because we live in a world that offers us so much pain. We lay off the mourning and feel joy, we begin to praise rather than dwell in the heaviness of a broken spirit. We can only do that when we are freed from the captivity of sin that threatens to have us drown in our sins, die in our pain. We live in a world that isn't right for us, trying to fit in and failing because all the superficial trappings that we suppose might make us happy fail us. We turn to one thing after the other trying to fill the emptiness, the pain of life and disappointment still finds us. Some people settle for mediocre existence, not seeking happiness but rather becoming content with what life throws their way, making the best of whatever befalls them- not realizing that they are truly captives in another way. It's good when we mourn, when we weep, when we feel that spirit of heaviness because then we can realize there is something wrong. Seeking relief from pain whether emotional or physical is a natural response and the true life pain reliever is faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and the world He offers, salvation in Him.


Salvation.


Salvation isn't just a promise for life hereafter, it's a promise for life now.


How would you act if you were promised 100,000,000 dollars? You would feel rich even before that money was realized. The promise of it enough to give you the thrill of that richness.


We are promised salvation and we can grasp hold of that thrill now.


Just as someone promised a great amount of money has to count their pennies until it's in their hands, living in their means until it's a reality- those promised salvation have to continue to live in a life that warrants mourning, brings them pain, and causes heartache. The joy of the promise makes life bearable. The promise needs to be real to us though. We have to believe in the promise. If we fail to believe in the promise then we lose hope and begin to live in despair. Without a promise, without hope we might settle for life with no future salvation.


May God help us to claim the promise of salvation in Christ now and live with the promise real in our lives believing its truthfulness, believing in the reality as if we've won the race, the prize before us is real.


By the mercy and the grace of our Lord and Savior through His righteousness now and forever! Amen.


Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isa 61:4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
Isa 61:5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
Isa 61:6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
Isa 61:7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
Isa 61:8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Isa 61:9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.
Isa 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Isa 61:11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.


Luk 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.


Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord


Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.


Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints