“I WILL GIVE YOU BEAUTY TO REPLACE YOUR ASHES. ” (Isaiah 61:3)
Recently  when I saw a person i knew, I thought she looked a lot younger.   But someone said that she probably had face work.  But our heavenly Beautician does something for us that is better.  He pours in us inner beauty and decorates us with a garland and a crown of beauty.

No matter what you have gone through in your life, no matter how much your life feels like a heap of ashes, the promise of God is that He will replace the ashes of your life with a crown of beauty.  Let us note some of the experiences of ashes that we go through:

God Beautifies the Humble

Abraham said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.” (Genesis 18:27)  Abraham humbled himself as dust and ashes, but God honoured him and his faith . God made him a great nation.  He became the father of faith.

God Beautifies the Forsaken

Tamar was forsaken by Amnon.  (2 Samuel 13:19)  “And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. “. Tamar was tricked by Amnon and then raped by him.   We know that suddenly Amnon’s love for Tamar turned to hatred.  But  God beautified Tamar by vindicating her in the death of Amnon.

God Beautifies Those Who Mourn Deeply

In Esther 4:3 we read, “In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing.  Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.”  But their mourning turned into joy when the Lord wonderfully intervened.

God Beautifies the Lonely and the Persecuted

Psalm 102:6-9, 12-13 says, “I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof. All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse. For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears….But You, LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.”

God Beautifies Those Who’ve Lost All But Him

Job 2 8 says, “Then Job took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.”  Job lost everything.  But God blessed him with double portions.

God promises that He will give us BEAUTY to replace our ashes.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for beautifying me with Your blood and holiness.

Praises & Prayer Needs

• Praise God for the good rain we had in India the past few days.
• Praise God we were able to plant rice in the midst of rain.  Pray that we will have a good harvest.
• Praise God for all the preparation for the celebration of Christmas.
• Praise God for the marriage of Ebenezer with Mariaselvam conducted on November 23 at Vatrap.
• Pray for Anand who has a problem of pus coming out of his ear.  His mother is a mentally affected person and father died some years ago.  He is being treated. Pray for the healing.
• Pray for Deborah in our Home who gets fainted often since there is some growth in her nostril.