Beauty For Ashes

Isaiah 61:3

New Living Translation (NLT)

³ To all who mourn in Israel,^[a]
    he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
    festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
    that the Lord has planted for his own glory.

How many times in life have you heard or said, God must have allowed it? I'm sure he had a purpose for ___? I'm sorry that happened BUT maybe it was for _____?

WRONG! Very very wrong! The Bible says - 

John 10:10

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

The thief being Satan and MY being Jesus/GOD. 

Bad things happen. They happen everyday to good people. People that have angels and families that love them.

They don't happen because GOD says to himself, this horrible thing will help my child. They happen because Satan is doing all he can to hurt, destroy and kill your happiness, your life and your future.

However, God can turn bad things into beautiful things. He can turn the horrible into the incredible.

My garden inspired me. I had this talk for about the 8th time with a beautiful woman who I love dearly. People continue to judge her, lie to her and try to hurt her - even by trying to validate the abuse she suffered.

While I was mulling over a better way to illustrate verses and ideas she has heard and read a thousand times, I gardened.

I have a fire place, I save all the ashes from my fireplace to add to my garden soil. Because it adds the best nutrients into the ground.

Its also one of the major reasons that people live next to live volcano's. Hawaii is the best example I know of. The plant life is lush, the seasons warm, the land filled with plenty. However, a horror is always looming. Doom can descend at any time.

Volcano's are one of the MOST destructive powers in the natural world.

It can't be reasoned with.

It can't always be predicted.

It can't be protected against.

You run or you die.

It kills without discrimination.

Everything in its path dies.

The air is death.

The ash is death.

The heat is death.

and yet... when its over life springs forth stronger and more vibrant. 

Just like a volcano, rape, abuse, hurt, pain & betrayal, can be the most destructive force in a persons life.

Many people commit suicide due to how fearful or un-hopeful they become.

God's promise of, Beauty for Ashes, is evident whereever a volcano explodes. If he can over come the most destructive force in nature and quickly too, so can he heal your hurt and turn a bad thing into a good thing.

Using a bad experience or a bad thing in your life for God's glory doesn't mean that "it was meant to be." Or that you were destined for that pain - but it can take the bad and use it for good. 

The best thing a person can do is allow God to heal the pain and to then use it to help heal others.

Taking the victory away from Satan.

The volcano doesn't disappear, nor does the damage of what has happened in your life.

The ash doesn't get swept away.

However, it becomes something more - something better.