The title of my novel, Beauty from Ashes, was inspired by the third verse in Isaiah chapter sixty-one. “To give them beauty for ashes” but really to get a better understanding of what Isaiah is talking about, it’s best to at least start at the beginning of chapter 61 verse 1:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
-New King James Bible
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.
Interesting fact, Jesus actually read the first seven lines of these verses one day in a synagogue. Then he rolled up the scroll and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
That was just about the historical equivalent of a mic drop.
Boom!
We know from Jesus himself that these verses are talking about him, what he has done and is continuing to do.
But what does it mean to give someone beauty for ashes?
I imagine it this way. If something has turned to ashes, it’s completely destroyed. Like a marshmallow left too long over a campfire. I’m not talking about slightly burnt, or crispy on the outside and deliciously melty on the inside. I’m talking totally completely charred and crunchy all the way through.
Something that’s turned to ash might look like it still retains its original shape, but when you try to touch it, it crumbles away into nothing.
Jesus takes things that are destroyed beyond recognition exchanges them for something beautiful.
That’s it in a nutshell. Beauty from Ashes means something wonderful growing up out of the ashes of difficulties and challenges we all face in this life.
We all go through dark times, but with God we have a promise that he’s always with us. He can bring beauty out of the most difficult experiences we go through.
Do you have your own “beauty from ashes” moment, where something good came out of a circumstance that seemed terrible at first? If you feel comfortable, please share about it in the comments.
