Beauty For Ashes

When we are burnt by the circumstances of life, we must be careful to not "feed on the ashes" by building shrines of bitterness, hatred, etc. We must build altars unto God for He gives Beauty For Ashes.

Beauty For Ashes


Isaiah 61:1-3 [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; [2] To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; [3]To appoint unto them that mourn, 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.

Many of us have been through times in our lives, where we have been 'burnt' by someone or a situation involving other people. We all go through hurtful moments. Everyone, sooner or later, will feel the hot fires of humiliation, hurts, and the searing of flame of injustice.

There were Biblical figures who have been burnt also. Joseph - rejection from his brothers; David - hated and persecuted by Saul; Jesus - betrayed by Judas; Steven - stoned by the very ones he tried to help and Job - burnt by satan.

Oftentimes, after we are 'burnt' by circumstances that happen in our life, the hurt can go so deep and we feel totally burnt out. All that seems to be left is a pile of ashes. The danger then, is we can start "feeding on ashes", if we are not careful. Our mind can become consumed with the events of what led up to the 'burning'. And from the ashes you are tempted to build shrines. (despair, bitterness, resentment, grudges, loneliness, unforgiveness and hate)

Isaiah 44:14-20 Yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and fallen down unto...And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image; he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it...He feedeth on ashes.

We can find good in all bad experiences if we look long enough or give it time to emerge. We must be willing to find it, instead of allowing ourselves to bow down to the "ash pile of hurts". We must continually "clean out the ashes" daily. There can always be a jewel found in the rubble of despair.

Joseph summed up the story of his whole life with these words, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." He did not build a shrine of bitterness or harbor an unforgiving spirit, but instead kept his eye on his dream and his integrity with God.

God promises us that if we would come to Him, He would take the leftovers or ashes of our life and give us beauty instead. Instead of building shrines which will destroy us, we need to build altars to Him, and He will restore us to a new life of beauty. Everyday we must clean out the ashes from yesterday's fire. We must clean out everything that may pull us down or anything that does not glorify God.

When the fire is hot in our life, God deals with us through our "fires of affliction". We must remember the gold process. A furnace is prepared for gold so it can be refined; it makes it much purer than before. It melts the gold, and makes it soft before it is refined. The heat of the furnace will destroy tin and lead, and also the drossy part of gold.

The Lord said, "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction". Isaiah 48:10

The best in a person is not discovered at a party or on beds of ease. It is the struggles of life that produces the gold. The fire of the furnace is to make us better, or work something out in our life that is a negative factor.

The writer of the Psalms expressed the principle that a time of affliction was good for a person. "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word...It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes". Psalm 119:67,71

When the enemy causes you to be burnt by someone, resist the temptation to build shrines of bitterness, anger and unforgiveness. Build an altar to touch God's fire. Do not let the ashes stack up through pride, prayerlessness, or doubt or they will become banked and hardened, making it difficult to let His fire flow freely and effectively in you. God has all power and will give you the confidence to live the constructive life of hope and power. God is on your side, and with Him you will always win!

He gives beauty for ashes.

Connie J. Schmoll