Beauty For Ashes

This is what I read to my kids on Sunday morning. It has now become the theme of what is running through my head every time I think of the church:

Isaiah 61

1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
Because the LORD has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,

3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins,
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities…

This is the gospel (in fact this is one of the first passages that Jesus chose to read in the synagogue)and now it is a promise for us: God will give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

And we shall rebuild the old ruins…

Blessings,

Jeff Downing

Posted on June 13, 2007.