Take comfort; God wants to give you beauty for ashes and praise from despair.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada. And I’m sure you know Isaiah 61 where it says that God will give beauty for ashes, right? It happens all the time. For instance, in the aftermath of the September 11th attack, ashes covered New York City. The drab, gray seemed to symbolize people’s grief. Even a church in the middle of the city was shrouded in soot. But as firefighters began to wash the church down, sun streamed through stained glass windows. And the brilliant colors captured everyone’s attention and suddenly, everyone stopped working. Amazingly, a worship service broke out, and people gathered to pray. Right there, in the midst of tragedy, God was already creating beauty from real ashes. Friend, if your life is filled with ashes, all dismal and gray, read Isaiah 61. Then take comfort; God wants to give you beauty for ashes and praise from despair.
© Joni and Friends