Isaiah 61:1a, 3 (NKJV) says, 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me (Jesus), because the Lord has anointed Me... to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning..."
I was fascinated by the words 'beauty for ashes' here. And wow, you know what? The Bible says God can turn your 'ashes' into something of a 'beauty'!
What does the word 'ashes' mean to you? In the Old Covenant, 'ashes' normally speaks of 'mourning'. People put 'ashes' on themselves in times of fasting or mourning. The Oxford Dictionary defines 'ashes' as 'powder that remains after something has been destroyed by burning.' And there's definitely no more beauty in 'ashes'! To me, 'ashes' are the only thing left when one's 'dream' goes up in smoke! 'Ashes' are as good as 'useless'. Hopeless! Gone! Blown away by the wind! That's the impression I have about 'ashes'. And that's why I was fascinated with Isaiah 61:3, when God says He can give 'beauty' for 'ashes'!
Have there been 'dreams' which turned into 'ashes' in your life recently? Maybe you've been wishing for a blissful marriage, but it turned out the opposite. Or maybe it's a dream friendship, a dream health, a dream business, or a dream career. Whatever it may be, I believe God can turn things for you, and He'll do it in His ways (because His ways are always higher than ours). And that's when we can hope. One thing I know for sure is God has turned 'ashes' into 'beauty' many times in my life, and I've learned to hope. And this hope is in God (see Psalm 71:5, Psalm 42:11, Psalm 43:5), not in flesh. When you put your hope in certain human, organization, institution, etc, you are bound to be disappointed. But when you put your hope in God, the Bible says in Romans 5:5, 'hope does not disappoint'.
In Hebrew, the word 'hope' is 'tiqvah', which actually means 'cord, attachment'. Can you imagine a foetus' umbilical cord attached (from the navel) to the mother's placenta? That's the only means of supply from the mother to the baby while in the womb. And that's how God taught me to 'picture' what 'hope' is! In the same way, God always wants to 'supply' you with His kindness and goodness, because He so loves you.
By the way, hoping in God is not a 'self-infused' presumption. When you hope in Him, you are letting Him be Him, doing it His way, not your way. One example is in Joseph's life (see Genesis 37). His 'dream' turned into 'ashes' when he tried to 'achieve' it in his own way, and before God's timing. His situation then went from bad to worse - being thrown into the pit, being sold as slave, and even ended up in prison. But when he came to 'nothing', letting go of his own ways and letting God be God, that's when God took over! And in His way, God eventually led Joseph in realizing the dream given to him.
Another example of how God gave 'beauty' for 'ashes' is in the life of Naomi. Read all the four chapters of the book of Ruth, and you'll know. A 'dream' start for Naomi went up in smoke when her husband died, followed by her two sons, and all these happened in a foreign land (see Ruth 1:1-5). In the culture she lived in, that was a blow! You see, in those days, people honored women with children; but hers were all dead. Also, in those days, women were dependent on their husbands; but she became a widow. And if that's not bad enough, she's an 'outsider' with no inheritance in a foreign land! No wonder when she finally returned to her homeland 'empty-handed', she even told the people not to call her 'Naomi' anymore (see Ruth 1:19-21). By the way, 'Naomi' in Hebrew means 'beauty', and she thought there's no more 'beauty' whatsoever in her life anymore, nothing but hopeless & 'ashes'!
Or so she thought.
But God did turn things around for her, and by His divine appointment, her 'foreigner' daughter-in-law, Ruth happened to meet up with Boaz, a man of great wealth, and a relative of Naomi's husband. The rest, of course, was history. One divine 'chance' happening led to another, and to cut a long story short, Boaz eventually became the kinsman-redeemer, also taking Ruth as his wife, and a son was born (see Ruth 4:13-16). Indeed, God has never forgotten Naomi.
When Jesus died on the cross for you some 2,000 years ago, He has also become your 'kinsman-redeemer', just as Boaz was to Naomi! Know that you have been redeemed from every form of curse and shame as well. 'Boaz' here in the Old Testament is a 'picture' of Jesus Christ Himself. Interestingly, 'Boaz' means 'pillar' in Hebrew. Indeed, Jesus IS your 'pillar of hope' today, and so, no matter what situation you may be facing at the moment, know that He can turn your 'ashes' into 'beauty' again.
Hope in Him.
