Give God Your Ashes

Holy Spirit, anoint my lips so that I will speak your truth and tell of your goodness in the land of the living…

Let me shout from the rooftops, My God reigns! Jesus is Lord! You rescue, you save, you deliver, you set free…You be exalted above all the earth…I will rise and praise my God…forever amen!!!

Maybe you come from a place of abuse, poverty, drunkenness, promiscuity, broken family and broken dreams, uneducated…maybe you never even had a dream of being anything more than what you are or offering your fellow people anything, because you never knew you were anything, it may never have even crossed your mind. But somewhere in your lineage someone prayed for you…and God heard…and God answered…

You are not alone. You are not trash. You are not ugly, fat, and no good. You will amount to something…Because Jesus came…He came to save the lost…to heal the broken-hearted and to break the chains of bondage, Satan has on you…The anointing of Jesus, destroys every steel rope that ties you. He restores your life and delivers you from alcoholism, drugs, obesity, insecurities, lies, sexual perversions, gambling, hoarding, greed, guilt, shame, disease, lack… whatever the chains are, Jesus will transform your life, if you will give it to Him…there is no better hands to be in than in His hands.

You will need to be accountable to someone…someone who knows God’s word and who lives the God life…someone who will tell you the truth and show you the right way; someone who knows the word of God and lives it. You will need to make a commitment to God and to yourself and if you fall down, get back up. It is not an instant fix. It is a moment by moment decision to walk with Jesus. I promise, if you will follow Him, your life will be totally and completely changed for the good.

It will not be easy…it will seem almost impossible at times…but He said you-can-do-it with His help. And when you are strong and delivered, help someone else, who, was just like you, to overcome and to become just like Him.

You see we aren’t on this journey just for ourselves…we have been put here to follow Jesus and to help others follow him.

I know because I was once lost and struggling…I came from a broken home. But someone was praying for me. I surrendered. I gave up my life to follow Him…looking at my life now and what it had been, it’s a miracle I’m even alive…God is faithful and my life now is full of Joy and peace and love. Oh I still have things to overcome; as long as we are in this flesh it will be that way…but now I don’t have to do it alone…I have the one who has all the answers. He doesn’t give the answers all at one time…he wants us to trust him and have faith in Him. His mercies are new, every morning…

You can’t do everything at once, you don’t change overnight…but as you take one moment at a time and overcome that one moment, then another, and another; before you know it, you will see you’ve changed. He’ll put good people in your life that will give you a hand up. He’ll surround you with love and grace. You’ll have a network of community, friends and family that won’t lie to you. They will love you. They won’t do it for you, but they will support you as you grow and learn.

There are battles to fight…some you’ll win and some you’ll lose…but He will always be with you in every single one of them and you will not be defeated or lost. In the end you win…because He has already won…

Finally, if you’re reading this and it sounds like you…open your heart, take one tiny step toward Him, God is waiting for you to ask.

I am praying for you…you are a winner! You are a child of God!

~Marla Shaw O’Neill May 11, 2018

Isaiah 61:1-7 The Message (MSG)

Announce Freedom to All Captives

The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness”
planted by God to display his glory.
They’ll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They’ll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
You’ll hire outsiders to herd your flocks
and foreigners to work your fields,
But you’ll have the title “Priests of God,”
honored as ministers of our God.
You’ll feast on the bounty of nations,
you’ll bask in their glory.
Because you got a double dose of trouble
and more than your share of contempt,
Your inheritance in the land will be doubled
and your joy go on forever.