Beauty from Ashes

Beauty For Ashes

Isaiah 61:3

When life's pathway grows uncertain,
And the winds of doubt blow strong;
When no one seems to understand,
And the night is growing long;
God remembers that I'm human,
He knows my flesh is weak;
When I claim His Spirit's presence,
He gives the comfort that I seek.

He'll give you beauty for ashes,
Joy for your mourning
He will clothe your heavy spirit with His praise
He's the healer of the broken heart,
He sets the captive free;
He plants us in His righteousness,
That, through our suffering, God might be glorified.

When your hopes have turned to ashes,
And your dreams have turned to dust,
When your life is scarred by a painful past
Your think your usefulness is lost;
Bring your ashes to the Saviour
Lay them at His nail-pierced feet,
He'll pick up the shattered ruins,
He will make your life complete.

He'll give you beauty for ashes,
Joy for your mourning
He will clothe your heavy spirit with His praise
He's the healer of the broken heart,
He sets the captive free;
He plants us in His righteousness,
That, through our suffering, God might be glorified.

--Joe Merhalski
1970-2001

 

I've been reading through the book of Isaiah again, and I am amazed at how much God can teach you.  No matter how many times a verse has been read, it always has new meaning. I am in awe of how good my God is. The theme throughout Isaiah is talking about Israel's fall, Israel's captivity in sin. The amazing thing is that Israel is God's people. God chose them, set them apart to be His. He fed them, clothed them, and redeemed them as His children. He redeemed them as His bride, and yet Israel chose to worship the idols of pagans. We wonder why a Just God could allow "innocent" people to go to hell or horrible things to happen in the world. The thing is, God is holy. He is above everything and is to be glorified. He is perfect. Because God is righteous, he demands His people to be righteous. But because of sin, His people go in search of something to eat and something to drink, but do not find anything to satisfy them because they are not running to God who satisfies every need. What I love about Isaiah is that God's people fall terribly into sin, and God lets them be taken into captivity to teach them that He really is the only thing they need in this world. What I most love though, is that God, being gracious and full of steadfast love and mercy, takes his people back, washes them and gives them the hope of a coming Savior. How good God is!

 

I think of my own life and how often I can fall into sin and fall down. But it's in those times that I need God most. It's those times where I see how good and gracious God is, how loving and forgiving. His gift of grace gave me unending joy in Jesus. and through Jesus my ashes have been traded for beauty.

 

When I fall, I must rise again and run the race with endurance because in the end, Jesus is my crown of glory and only His name will be praise. To Christ be the glory forever and ever!

It is Jesus that makes all things BEAUTIFUL