Turning Your Ashes Into A Crown Of Beauty

We’ve talked about what is redemption and how we ask God for our sins, our past, to be redeemed. Today, I want to soak in God’s promises of redemption from scripture. Let’s take a minute to hear what He says about how He will redeem whatever we’ve been through.

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, instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor…. … Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. (Isaiah 61:3-7 NIV)

God is speaking to His people through the prophet Isaiah and promising them redemption. God’s people were in exile and the future was looking bleak. The kingdom of Israel had fallen apart and they’d been overtaken by the Babylonians. Isaiah began to prophesy about redemption and hope. A day to come where God would turn it all around and restore the people to Him.

God gives us this same promise. He will turn our ashes into beauty. Take our mourning and transform it into gladness; turn our despair into praise. Instead of disgrace over what we’ve done, we will rejoice over our place in God’s kingdom.

To see a glimpse of God’s power of redemption, watch this video. I promise it’ll be an extraordinary 5 minutes of your day. I found this several years ago while preparing for a women’s conference and it absolutely blew me away – and has stuck with me as a powerful reminder of God’s forgiveness and redemption, a real-life illustration of this verse in Isaiah.

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes —who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water .’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes .’” (Revelation 7:13-17 NIV)

How incredible to think that the blood Jesus shed on the cross will wash us clean! Our robes, filthy with sin and tribulation of this world, will be made white as snow.

With God, we will not hunger or thirst or be in need. We will live by springs of living water. God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

(Psalm 130:1-4 NIV)

For some additional encouragement today, check out “What Faith Can Do”, by Kutlass

This post is part of the “A Better Change” series. For more information on this series and to find related posts, click here: A Better Change Series – Overview