BEAUTY FOR ASHES

      

Isaiah 61:3 says to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes , the oil of joy for mourning , the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness , the planting of the Lord , that He may be glorified.

Ashes represent a lot of things .In 2 Samuel 13:6-19, it stands for shame, humiliation, disgrace and disappointment. After Tamar - the young virgin princess was raped by her step brother she sprinkled ashes on her head to mark her shame, disgrace, disappointment and embarrassment. Ashes can also mean a sad end or destruction. Most likely an end caused by fire. Malachi 4:3 says you shall trample the wicked for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet. Ashes at times indicate the presence of terrible sicknesses. After satan struck Job with painful boils in Job 2:7-8, he sat in ashes. Ashes can be used to define a man of no status or worth. Abraham compared himself to ashes and dust in Genesis 18:26-27, when he was appealing to God to have mercy on the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Job also echoed the same words in Job 30:19, he said “He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like a dust and ashes. Ashes during fasting and prayers can signify a desperate cry for help. The appointed time for the liberation of Jerusalem had come and gone but nothing happened. In Daniel 9:3, Daniel covered himself in ashes and began to seek the face of God over the liberation of Jerusalem. A synonym for ashes is mourning.

In Isaiah 63:1 God promised that He will console those who mourn and will give them beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that He may be glorified. God is not gloried in your predicaments. He is not glorified in your failure or sickness. He is not glorified when things are not going well for you.  He wants to help you and will help you in Jesus name, Amen.
Who is this God that promised to give beauty for ashes? How powerful is He? What are His limits? This God is known as the Most High, Psalm 99:2 .Psalms 97:9 says He is higher than the Highest. Luke 1:37 confirms that with Him nothing is impossible. According to 99:1, when He reigns the earth has no choice than to tremble. Psalm 97:5 says mountains melt like wax before Him. Matthew 3:9 says He is so powerful he can even bring children out of stones. Psalms 62:11 says power belongs to Him.  Isaiah 13:13 says  He is able to shake the heavens and the earth will move out of her place. Job 9:6 says He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble.

This God is able to comfort in mourning. According to John 14:26, He is the comforter. Isaiah 66:13 says He is able to comfort like a mother .2 Corinthians 1:4 says He comforts in all troubles. The psalmist says His comfort delights souls, Psalm 94:19. Asides comforting people, He is able to turn situations around. Psalms 30:11 says He turns mourning into dancing and exchanges sackcloth with garment of gladness. Isaiah 61:3 says He is able to exchange mourning for oil of joy. Immediately Jesus raised the son of the widow in Luke 7:11-17, she went from mourning into dancing. In 2 Kings 4:18-37 is the popular story of great Shunamite woman. After her son died, she ran to the man of God and began to cry, she started rolling on the floor, begging the prophet to do something. She forgot she was highly respectable in the society , she just cried and cried and the Lord touched her son . Immediately the Lord brought the dead boy back to life and tears dried up and began to smile again. I pray that the Lord will touch your situation and turn it around in Jesus name.
Aside from turning mourning into dancing, He is able to turn sickness into health. Exodus 15:26 calls Him the great healer. Jeremiah 30:17 says He is able to restore health and heal wounds. According to Psalms 147:3, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalms 103:3 says He heals all disease. In Luke 5:12-13, a man covered with leprosy fell before Jesus and began to implore him to have mercy and heal him. Jesus touched him and immediately his skin became like that of a new born baby soft, tender and began to shine. Also in Luke 13:10-17 is the story of a woman who had not stood straight for eighteen years. She had a problem with her spine and for eighteen years she remained bent. The woman went through great pains for eighteen years but immediately the great healer – Jesus laid His healing hands on her, right on the spot she was made straight. In John 5:1-16 is the story of a man who had been sick for thirty eight years. For thirty eight years his life was at a standstill. Jesus told him to take up his bed and walk. The man stood up as if nothing had happened to him. He did not stagger or anything. He just began to walk normally.

 He can also turn death to life .Only the living can resurrect the living. It is impossible for dead to raise the dead. Revelations 1:18 says Jesus is alive forever. According to John 11:25, Jesus is the resurrection and the life. John 14:6 says He is the way, the truth and life. John 1:4 says in Him was life. John 5:21 says He is able to give life. In Mark 2:1-12, a man whose body was dead was brought to Jesus. The only part of his body that was alive was his head, the other part was dead that was he was so heavy that four men were required to carry him around. Immediately Jesus prayed for him, life was restored to his entire body.The man that was carried in with four men suddenly stood up and began to walk. In John 11:1-45 is the story of Lazarus who was not only dead but brain dead. Immediately Jesus called his name, death let go of him and he came back to life. 
God is also able to restore victories to those who have been beaten down by life situation. He is able to help those that are burnt by life. Those that life has treated unfairly; victims of circumstances. He is also able to make a man victorious. Exodus 15:3 calls Him a Man of war. Isaiah 42:13 describes His moves like that of a mighty man. Psalms 24:8 calls Him the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. According to Psalm 46:7, He is the Lord of Host .Isaiah 59:19 says when the enemy comes in like a flood; the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Jabez was a man who life had been unfair to. Because of his name , life battered him daily but one day he cried to God in 1  Chronicles 4:9-10 and God came to his rescue. He changed his name and everything started moving on fine.
Asides all this, God is able to give new beginning and turn situations around. To those who see themselves as worthless, to those who the world sees as nobody, to those who have no voice in the family, to those who are invisible despite been amidst a crowd, God is able to turn situations around. He is able to make the one who the world ignores to become the one people will sit and listen to. He is able give you beauty for ashes. According Ecclesiastes 3:11, He is able to make a thing beautiful. The lame man at the beautiful gate was invisible all his life. No one really noticed him, because he was a nobody, sick and very very poor. One day in Acts 3:1-12, two servants of God walked to him, grabbed him by the hands and from that day onward people began to run to hear his story of victory. Why? Because the Most High had given  him beauty for his ashes.
Before the Lord promised to give a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, oil of joy for mourning, ashes to beauty, He first addressed the cause of ashes. He addressed the reason for spirit of heaviness and mourning. Isaiah 59:1 says behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear. Isaiah 59:2 says but your iniquities have separated you from your God and your sins have hidden His face from you. Brethren, God is closer to us than the clothes we wear .It is sin that makes it look like He is miles away. It is sin that makes us cry for help and get no response.  Isaiah 30:19 says God will be gracious when we cry for help. As soon as He hears us, He will answer. Isaiah 65:24 says before they call, I will answer and while they are still speaking, I will hear. Sin blocks Him from hearing us. As we have read in Isaiah 59:2b it is sins that makes it look like He has hidden His face from His people. From time to time, Jesus will tell people go and sin no more, why? Because sin brings problems and disappointment.
If there is anyone reading this newsletter and is yet to give his or her life to Jesus or was once born again but has backslidded, Please come back to Christ today. He is faithful and just to forgive. Ezekiel 18:32 says “For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God “therefore repent and live!”
The bible said in Romans 3 v 23 that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6 s 23 says for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The gift was explained in John 3 v 16 , For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. What shall we do to be saved? The bible says in Romans 10vs 9 that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10 v 10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with our mouth we confess and are saved. Prayer this prayer from your heart today!

Dear Jesus, I believe that You died for me and rose again on the third day. I confess I am a sinner. I need your love and forgiveness. Come into my heart. Forgive my sins. I receive Your eternal life. Confirm You love by giving me peace, joy and supernatural love for others, Amen.

Welcome to Christ brethren, Please join a bible believing church
Samuel Oluwatoki
Please forward this newsletter to a friend, family or colleague. Remember Matthew 10 v 32 which say whoever confesses me before me, him I will confess before my father who is heaven.