Join Me On the Journey

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isa 61:1-3 (KJV)

Is this not an incredible passage?

I do not truly understand all that Jesus did for me when He died on the cross. I’m not sure that my brain, with it’s limitations here on earth, is capable of understanding it on more than a surface level. Oh, I get a glimpse of it now and then, but I must say that I don’t truly understand it.

This passage in Isaiah promises me and promises you that God will give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. What promises this passage holds! And yet, I must realize something.

This passage says that He will give me all these wonderful things, but I must give up something. I must give up my ashes and mourning and my spirit of heaviness. Oh, wait a minute…I have to give up something? I have to give up all those familiar, comfortable, awful things????

All of us have those things in our lives. Those ways of dealing with life that we see modeled by our family and friends and even other Christians. We take a little of the stinkin’ thinkin’ from each person who comes into our lives, plus we might mix in a little right thinking now and then; and we combine it all together to come up with our own way of dealing with life.

I spent a good part of my life depressed. I thought that I wanted to get better, but I realize now that I really didn’t want to get better…until I finally really did want to get better.

You see, depression had become like an old friend to me. I can still clearly remember the day that I realized that depression was like my security blanket. One that I had slept with every night, and carried with me every day, and cried on night and day until it had become worn and tattered.

I had even made attempts at throwing it away, but I would always go and retrieve it from the trash. And then it began to take on a smell…the smell of death and decay.

I had to burn the blanket.

So, I did. And, I very nearly, literally died in the process.

But, do you know what I did then?

I carried around the ashes.

Thank goodness, I didn’t carry them around very long. I was able to give them up and my Father gave me His beauty for my ashes. Wasn’t that a great trade?

There are still ashes I carry that God wants me to give up.

Are you carrying around ashes? What are the ashes that you are carrying? Are you ready to give them up?

Popularity: 4%