God says He gives us beauty for ashes. How can this be when it seems like everything, or at least most things you value, has ended up in the fire? There’s nothing much left after the destruction has come except for the ashes of what used to be; but then, something inside of you causes you to re-evaluate. You stop looking at things in the natural and begin to look up with your spiritual eye. How on earth do we get from the place of ashes to beauty?
That’s when you have to stop and see God face to face. Now, it’s time to get down to a personal level. The conversation might go something like this. I spell my guts out to Him and say, “God, I’ve lost everything. There’s nothing left. I feel like everything has been stolen; my heart is broken, and my heart is laid bare and has been ripped to shreds.” Then He says to me, “Wait a minute; let’s discuss this on a deeper level. What exactly have you lost; what lesson(s) do you suppose I want to teach you out of this fiery trial you’ve just experienced? By the way, you’ve come through it, or we wouldn’t be having this discussion.” Wow, that is a real eye opener. I made it through.
Then, I begin to see Him more clearly. I begin to look into His love-filled eyes while He explains some things to me. He begins to ask me questions again: “My child, why is your heart so heavy; why are you so full of burdens about things that you cannot change, or better yet, things you prayed and asked me to change but didn’t turn out the way you hoped they would? Why is your heart so troubled?”
Then, He says lets go and see what Isaiah 61:3 has to say about these things. So we begin to explore the scripture together. Oh, I finally get it as I turn to Him and smile. You want me to PRAISE you no matter what happens–regardless of the way things turn out or regardless of how I feel. You say right here that Praise vanquishes my foes. And heaviness right now is a foe that has me weighed down. And that if I will Praise You and exalt You no matter what, then the spirit of heaviness will be thrown off me. What did you say Father? Please tell me again. You say that as I worship you out of a heart surrendered totally to You in worship that You will replace the heaviness I feel with a cloak of Praise that You will drop over my head and totally submerge me in, and that this cloak of praise will cast off every work of darkness. Wow, what a trade-off; I am taking You up on this deal!!!
Now, my hands are lifted high; my heart overflows in worship and adoration to my Father as I exalt the One I love. As I began to tell Him how glorious and magnificent He is and that He is full of glory and splendor, He adorns me with His beauty and causes me to rise up out of the blackened ash heap. And then, He crowns me with the beauty of His grace. Holiness is the beauty that fills His house, and everyone who lives there. I choose to worship Him in the beauty of His holiness.
