To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, 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. Isaiah 61:3
God is a restorer and a redeemer. God can take all the
ugly and hurtful things that have happened in our lives and transform them into
something beautiful. No matter what your life has been like, abuse, abandonment,
rejection, or trauma, God can take the pain and rebuild your life. If you have
experienced deep sorrow, and you feel worthless and hopeless, hold onto God’s
Word that He gives beauty for ashes. Ashes are the occurrences in our lives that
have caused us much grief, agony, and heartache. God has a plan to repair the
ruins in your life.
Some people have endured deep scars from sexual,
physical, or mental abuse, and they feel they could never be whole or complete,
but God trades the wounds and misery for His rebuilding and completeness. God
never waste hurt, if you have been affected by suffering through abuse, rape,
sexual assault, or any other traumatic life experiences, God desires to bring
you renewal. God can take the most devastating things that have happened in your
life, and renovate you and use you to bring recovery and hope to others. God
will not only repair you from brokenness but He will use you to help others
overcome their damaged lives.
God has a purpose for your life and He will cause
something magnificent to come from the distress of your life. God desires to
deliver you from the things in your past that weigh you down and cause you much
heaviness. Many times, people that have a history of affliction begin to
self-heal and self-medicate the pain through numerous addictions, such as alcohol,
drugs, and food, but God wants to repair all of your painful memories and bring
deliverance from these dependencies. God will help you work through the
uncomfortable remembrances, one at a time, and He will lavish His unconditional
love upon you and reconstruct you from the years of destruction. Do not be
concerned what your former years were like or even what you have done, God can
rectify the most distressing events in your life.
There is a reason for your existence, and God has a
plan for your anguish. So many people, including myself, have helped so many
individuals with their devastating life circumstances because we have not only
gone through the encounters but we have allowed God to redeem, recondition and
repair us.
God
does give beauty for ashes.
God wants you to be delivered from what you have done and from what has been done to you - Both are equally important to Him.
― Joyce Meyer, Beauty for Ashes: Receiving Emotional
Healing