Give God Your Ashes

Last week I had been praying about something that  I believed the Lord wanted me to write and it was difficult because it was something that had happened in my life that was painful and I didn’t want to talk about that part of my life. But the words from Ashes to Beauty, kept coming to my mind.  I had gotten this letter from my Aunt Rose and had left it on an end table. As I walked past the table the letter caught my eye and I decided to open it and read it. There in the pages of her letter it was confirmed that God indeed wanted me to write my story and I did. I’m not going to share it at this time, but I wrote it in obedience to the Lord for another venue. Even after writing it, I was torn, but something my pastor said in his sermon Sunday was that, “The Bible is full of stories of broken and imperfect people and maybe your story will help someone else.” We all have stories…some happy and some sad life is messy…we can’t change the story in the past…it is what it is…But with the grace of God and with His guidance and direction we can change the story going forward…God took all the ashes of my life; the broken, bitter, ugly story and turned it into something beautiful and of worth, to be used for His glory…I am not that person from the past…I am a brand new creation…I have the favor of God and I will forever Praise Him for transforming my life by living in obedience to His will! The thing is…is that when we surrender our hearts to Him…he takes our ashes and turns them into beautiful jewels for His glory!! He will give you beauty for ashes…we just have to be willing.

God used my Aunt Rose’s letter, the letter below to give me the courage to tell what otherwise would have left me bound to something he wanted to set me free from.

Writings by Aunt Rose

A New Beginning

We may “wish” for a change, but wishes do not come true without a decision. Decisions come with faith and obedience to God. There will never be a change without a decision.

God can give us a renewal daily with fresh mercies. We can either go on the way we are or accept the fact that we have been created, by God, to need “new beginnings.” We must release our faith and say, “His is a place of new beginning for me, a place to have a fresh start.”

It is time to have the abundant life that Jesus says we can have. We must put away the old and put on the new life in Christ.

There is no room or the time for the depressions, the guilt, the hurt, self-pity, unforgiveness, bitterness, selfishness, anger or jealousy; anything that may come between you and God. Jesus bore all of this on the cross so that we may be free and delivered of all sins. He delivers you from any bondage! God assures us that, through Him, we may have ever lasting life and be Overcomers.

In order for God to change things for us, He needs our co-operation. There must be a change “within” us before there can be a change in circumstances. If He has been speaking to your heart about new levels of obedience or some sacrifice; you may need a change of attitude. We may have to take an action of faith to see results.

(Isaiah 61:3) How wonderful it is to know that God gives us beauty for ashes! He heals us physically and spiritually. The ashes are everything that’s been burned away that’s keeping you from coming into the fullness of God. We must get rid of it. The devil wants us to keep them around to destroy us and remind us of the past and our weaknesses. The past has been wiped away and He never remembers anymore, neither should we. He gives you too much abundant life for you to be consumed by the past sins, which you died away to.

This is the time and year chance to decide to make a fresh beginning. Be determined, by faith and obedience and the power of Christ to make a fresh beginning with God for the New Year 1998 or at the present.

When we obey God, in love, He will restore to us all that we have lost. Even if all you have left is rubble and broken pieces of your life. He, in His miraculous way will make it all work for your good. I know this is unnatural to the carnal way of thinking. “What the devil means for evil, God will work it out for good.”

If you have everything but don’t have Christ, you have nothing. If you have nothing but have Christ, you have everything.

(Romans 8:26-28) With God being our partner, “all things work together for good to them that love God according to His purpose.”

There is a calling and a purpose on each life. We must set ourselves apart from this world and be in complete obedience to Him. Without obedience there can be no joy~ what do you have to lose?

~Anger, shame, condemnation, self-centeredness, hatred, bitterness, guilt, unforgiveness and many things that defeat us.

(Lamentations 3:22-26) We have new mercies every morning and great is God’s faithfulness. It is in the Lord we have our hope. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him and to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that we hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. During that quiet time we should honor the Lord with praise. He loves to hear from His children and He loves to spend time with us. He wants us to know that we are strengthened just by His presence. He wants to be first in our lives but He also knows it is our choice. It is our obedience that He yearns for. He wants to bless His children and He’s waiting for us to take the time to commune with Him to give Him our undivided attention.

We gain so much during our praise. “Be still and know that I am God!”

God is the Deliverer. The Peace-giver. The Restorer of the soul. The Resurrection and the Life. The Comforter. The Overcomer. He is everything you take time for Him to be. What do you want God to be to you?

(Isaiah 41:10) Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Amen~

~Rose Gandy December 29, 1997, used by Rose Gandy’s permission.

Isaiah 61:3 New King James Version (NKJV) To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, 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.”

Romans 8:26-28 New King James Version (NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession ^[a]for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Isaiah 41:10 New King James Version (NKJV) Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Lamentations 3:22-26 New King James Version (NKJV) Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.