Why Jesus Came: He Is Greater Than the Ashes

Why Jesus Came: He Is Greater Than the Ashes By Debbie McDaniel “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach 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, to proclaimthe year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise insteadof a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:1-3 Throughout the Bible and ancient practices, ashes have often been the symbol of deep repentance and grief. As the days of Lent are acknowledged each year, we see all around us the visual reminders of ashes on foreheads, and are reminded of this one Truth, “…for dust you are and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:19 Not exactly a nice thought to get your day going. But the reality of it all sinks in deep. Because, as many of us know, life is not always “happy.” Sometimes, it’s difficult. We feel pain, loneliness, even deep grief and despair. You may understand if… - You’ve ever lost a loved one or had to say good-bye too soon, left to journey through dark days of grief, wondering if you’d ever be able to carry on without them at your side… - You’ve ever received a hard diagnosis, faced the fear of the unknown, and felt the effects of disease and pain… - You’ve ever set at the bedside of a dying friend, and held a hand that once was strong, whose life had been cut short from the ravages of cancer… - You’ve ever been to a funeral for a sweet baby, or a precious child, and watched endless tears flow from hurting souls of a Mama and Daddy…. - You’ve ever been deeply wounded, betrayed, abused, or mistreated… It’s true, life is not always easy. It deals harshly sometimes, it seems unfair, and we may wonder where God is, or why He didn’t stop that difficult event or illness from happening. Job was there too. This righteous man who loved and honored God. Yet he lost everything. It crumbled around him, all he held dear. And he knew without God, he was nothing. And we find him in the beginning of the book of Job, “…he sat in the ashes.” Job 2:8 Daniel was there. He and the people had suffered under captivity, he prayed to God on behalf of his people, that God would have mercy. He repented, and confessed his own sin, his deep need for Him. He knew where true strength and help came from, “Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” Daniel 9:3 Tamar was there. She had trusted and yet was betrayed. David’s own daughter had been taken advantage of, then was left on her own, alone, with no hope for her future, to pick up the broken pieces of shattered life. “And Tamar put ashes on her head andtore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.” 2 Samuel 13:19 And in their times of ashes, they may have wondered too… Where was God in it all? Deep grief, crime, captivity, illness, death of loved ones, shattered hope, and broken dreams? His Truth says this: He was there, in the midst of it. And though we may not always see it, or feel it, or even understand it, we can know beyond a doubt, that He is with us now too. Always. Jesus came to bring life, freedom, restoration, redemption, healing, favor, goodness, joy, and so much more. He came to trade our brokenness and ashes for hope and beauty. He will never waste our pain, but will bring His greater purposes from it all. Wecan trust Him even in the most difficult of days and know that the ashes on our lives will fade away, as His beauty within us shines brightly through. Intersecting Faith & Life: Have you sometimes felt as if your life has been marked by ashes, pain, or difficulty? Choose to thank God today, that even in the hard times, He’s with you and has greater purpose and hope in store. Remember, there’s beauty ahead,straight out of ashes. Christ redeems and is greater than anything we may face in this world. Further Reading: Matthew 28:20 1 John 4:4 Jeremiah 29:11 John 16:33 God's Grand Plan 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 It's amazing but true that God's grand plan for your life is far greater than you can imagine. In fact, this earth-bound existence has us so preoccupied with the demands of life that most of us give little thought to what it will mean to be completely sanctified. In the Christian life, sanctification is a three-stage process. At the moment of salvation, God sets us apart for Himself. Then throughout the rest of our earthly life, He works to transform us into the image of His Son. One day, however, there will be a glorious culmination to our sanctification. Presently,we all struggle with sin, but when we die, our spirits and souls will ascend to heaven and be completely sinless. Then we'll see our Savior face to face and experience unimaginable joy. No longer will we struggle with the pride of life or the lusts of the flesh and the eyes (1 John 2:16). However, as great as this will be, it's not yet the final step. Some day in the future, Jesus will descend from heaven, bringing with Him the souls of those who have died in Christ. They will be united with their resurrected bodies, and believers who arestill alive on the earth will be changed (1 Thess. 4:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-54). Then sanctification will be complete--spirit, soul, and body. This is not a fairy tale, but the believer appointed destiny. God Himself promises to bring it to pass. We'll walk in His presence, spotless and without blame, for all eternity. Knowing this, how will you live today? The promise of salvation isn�t meantjust to give hope, but to spur us on to holy living. ---------------------- A Time to Die �To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, anda time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.� (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2) In the first eight verses of Ecclesiastes 3 there is a remarkable listing of 28 �times� arranged in 14 pairs of opposites (e.g., �a time to be born and a time to die�). Every timed event is planned by God and has a �purpose� (v. 1), and everything is �beautiful� in God�s time for it (v. 11). Although it is beyond our finite comprehension, it is still bound to be true that the infinite, omnipotent God �worketh all things after the counsel of his own will� (Ephesians1:11). Even when in our time we may not understand how a particular event can be purposeful or beautiful, we can have faith that if it occurs in God�s time for it, it is (Romans8:28). The time of our birth is, of course, not under our control, but we can certainly have a part in determining the occurrence of all the other 13 �times,� even the time of death. With the exception of those still living at the time of Christ�s return, each ofus will eventually die. God has appointed a time for each individual, and it is wrong for him or her to shorten that time (by suicide or careless living, which can never be part of His will for any of us). We should say with David, �My times are in thy hand� (Psalm 31:15), and seek to live in ways pleasing to Him as long as He allows us to live. We should praythat, when our time is finished, He will enable us to die in a manner that will be �beautiful in his time� (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Not one of us knows when that ordained �time to die� may be for us, so we must seek daily to �walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time� (Colossians4:5). HMM -------------------------- VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM