Beauty for Ashes

Isaiah 61:3 “and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”

I’ve got to have hope. I’ve got to believe that this is not it. I’ve got to believe it gets better. I’ve got to think that this too shall pass. I’ve got to know that all of this is for my good. It gets better. Every day there is something. Bad news. Crazy headlines. Death and despair everywhere, BUT God! His word gives us comfort that there will be a great exchange. We will trade our ashes for beauty. What are the ashes? They are all the difficult and challenging things we have experienced. We can give God our burdens. We can give God our hurt. We can give God our fear. We can give God our anger. We can give it all to God. We can have beauty for ashes.

Battlefield

The real battlefield is in our minds. It's in our thoughts. It's in our fears. It's in our insecurities. It's in our hopes. It's in our desires. It's all right there making it hard to focus. We get distracted so easily. We can't see the forest for the trees. We don't read in between the lines. Stay vigilant.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

No More

When is enough, enough. At some point, we have to get sick and tired of being sick and tired. We must stop making excuses. We must stop justifying it. We have to say no more. We have to let it resonate in our spirit. We have to get righteously indignant. No more! Scream it. Yell it. You insert the blank. No more excuses. No more spending. No more overeating. No more lying. No more racism. Whatever it is, make a decision in your heart and stick to it. No more!

Null

Don’t get me wrong. I do want to visit all of these “Black Lives Matter” murals. I love the sudden appreciation for Black Lives. I think representation in the media is important. I think statues should be removed and names should be changed. Let’s be clear, none of that changes history or the present. We are still fighting for Black Lives to Matter. We are still fighting for Brown Lives to Matter. We are still fighting for Equal rights for women and the gay community. The fight isn’t over because of a few commercials and marches, and what we are really asking for has fallen on deaf ears. In fact, what we really want is null and void.

Necessary

There are certain steps that must be taken to ensure a certain outcome. We all have a path that must be traveled. We have prerequisites that must be completed. There are certain things that are deemed necessary. In society, there are rights of passage. In politics, there are necessary evils. In war, there is collateral damage. In life, there are acceptable losses. They are all necessary lessons. Maybe we should change our perspective on this year. Maybe this is what it takes to see the change we’ve been wanting to see. Maybe this is the year where the mass injustices not only get exposed but dealt with legally. Maybe this is the year that is the catalyst for national reform. Maybe this is just what we needed to grow individually and collectively. Maybe this was necessary for us.

Disconnect

Go on. Say it. It’s not a bad word. Disconnect. Unplug. Let go. We all need some alone time. We all need some time away from it all. Vacations are a bit hard right now. Our usual way of doing things are a bit hard right now. I get it. You can always turn the tv off. You can take an extra five minutes in the shower. You can go for a drive. You can take the long way home. You can just sit outside. Do whatever you need to do to get you back together. Sign off from social media. Mute you're notifications. Don't check that email. Don’t reply to that text message. Send that call to voicemail. Disconnect, just for a little while.

Distractions

Magicians utilize distraction to execute their illusions. They make you focus on one thing while their hands or assistant is doing another. Fake news works the same way. The controlled media creates news cycles to divert our attention from the real issues. The enemy does the same thing. We find ourselves caught up in conflict when God wants to deliver us. We find ourselves focused on the storm when God wants us to walk on water. What distractions are you currently facing? What is being deliberately put in your line of sight when you should be paying attention to something else? What are you worrying about when God has already handled? Don’t let these temporary distractions steal your joy. Don't let these uncertain times steal your faith. Don’t let one defeat steal your victory. Distractions are a tool of the enemy to keep you bound.

John 8:36 NKJV Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed