Beauty from Ashes

Sometimes we get so caught up in the trite sayings of "christianease." Like "all things work for good." And "Let go and let God." or "everything happens for a reason." I abhor those phrases.

Tell the mama who lost her son last night that all things work for good.

Tell the daddy who’s 18 year old daughter is shooting heroin to “let go.”

When we live with a loved one who is on a self-destructive path, we often live in the shadow of death and despair.

To be clear, death and disease and drugs and pain and grief....they were NOT part of God's plan. He didn't cause them. He didn't want this for His people. He wanted us to live a perfect life with Him at the center.

In the Greek text the word for broken-hearted is translated shattered soul. Thankfully His promise is to heal the shattered soul.

And He promises that while horrible things happen to us in this world He is able to take the ashes of grief and mourning and turn them into the beauty of joy and praise, comfort and hope.

August 1, 2024 Our prayer for our loved one today:

Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV [1] The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, [2] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and ...to comfort all who mourn, [3] and provide for those who grieve in Zion---to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Abba daddy, we humbly come before You ready to receive the Good News that You have for us. We thank You that Your desire is to bind up the brokenhearted and to FREE (our loved one) and to release each of us from the darkness that exists around us. Lord, we proclaim Your favor over our life and (our loved one's) life and we receive the gift of Your comfort as we weep for (our loved one). Lord we accept Your comfort as we grieve. We rejoice in the coming day when you will bestow on us and on (our loved one) a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of despair, because that is Your perfect plan for us. And we exalt the day when (our loved one) will be called an oak of righteousness and (he/she) will stand before You whole and healed in ALL of (his/her) slender and glory. Lord, we receive today Your healing and Your faithful promises for our lives. In Jesus precious name we pray. Amen.

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