BEAUTY FOR ASHES

A pillow soaked with tears...this pitiful picture is not something a poet dreamed up, it is what many experience, night after night. There are many things that could be grieving you. Perhaps it is the loss of a loved one or a shattered marriage. It could also be a wayward child, or sorrow for lost souls, or for the brokenness of God’s people. If something is causing you grief tonight, whatever it is, the Lord’s heart is with you. He longs to comfort you and hold you until morning. In His Word, He promises even more than comfort to those who mourn. He says He has come, “...to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for morning, 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” (Isaiah 61:2b, 3). Think of it: beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. God has heard your cries. And He is telling you that no tear is ever wasted. You are the beloved Bride, the apple of His eye. What moves your heart moves His. You are coming into greater oneness with Him. What a comforting thought to fall asleep with