Thy Will - Matthew 6:10

This is Namma for Christ with the one hundred twenty-first  inspirational message dated Tuesday, October 24th, 2017.  The title of this message is, “Thy Will"– Matthew 6:10.  The title of this message is also the title of the above anointed song/video entitled “Thy Will” as sung by Hillary Scott and the Scott Family.
The scripture comes from the Gospel of Matthew - the 10^th
verse of the sixth chapter. 

Matthew 6:10

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

 

The above verse is the 4^th line of the “Lord’s Prayer”.

See the entire “The Lord’s Prayer” below:

The Lord's Prayer
(traditional)

Our Father, which
art in heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth,

As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive them that trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

What do these words mean to you: "Thy Will Be Done"? 
As a Christian, when you pray, do you pray that the “Lord’s Will” be done in "your" life!  Are you yielding your plans and your way to the Lord’s?  "Why" do we pray for the Lord’s Will to be done in our lives? 
We pray that the “Will of God” may be done in our lives because we believe it to be “perfectly loving and righteous”.  The Lord loves us and God has already planned what is "best" for us. Our own Savior, Jesus Christ prayed this prayer in regards to "His" TEACHING His disciples how to pray.  Whether we actually say, "Thy Will be done" (in our prayer) or whether we use a less formal phrase, it is important to pray in God's Will.  It is acceptable for us to tell God what our will is for a given situation, but then we  must always defer to Him and let Him know that we desire His Will above our own.  Even Jesus did this in the Garden of Gethsemane when He was facing torture and death on the cross: "...He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me.  Yet not as I will, but as You will."  Please read Matthew 26:39 - see below:


Matthew 26:39
New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁹ He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Therefore, if we are to be like Christ – how much more should we follow, obey and say what Jesus said - “Thy will be done…”

 Please enjoy the above anointed song/video entitled “Thy Will” as sung by Hillary Scott and the Scott Family. 


 (I do not own the rights to this song.)

BE BLESSED!

To God Be the Glory - I was created for God’s Glory - 2 Cor. 3:17-18

This is Namma for Christ with the one hundred twentieth inspirational message dated Saturday, September 16th, 2017.
The title of this message is “To God Be the Glory - I was created for God’s Glory - 2 Cor. 3:17-18.” The first five words of the title are also the title of the below anointed song/video entitled, “To God Be the Glory” as powerfully sung by Andrae Crouch & the All-Star Choir.  The original song was written in 1972 by Andrae Crouch (1942-2015) and originally titled, “My Tribute (To God Be the Glory). The scripture for this message comes from the 17^th and 18^th verses of the 3^rd chapter of 2^nd Corinthians (as written by The Apostle Paul):

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Old Testament supporting scripture comes from what the Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 43:7 –

Isaiah 43:7

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁷ Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him."

  During the summer of 2017, while at work, I was given an inspirational Christian book by a kind co-worker entitled, “Jesus Calling – Enjoying Peace in His Presence” by Sarah Young. The co-worker explained that the book’s “daily words of inspiration and the associated bible verses” lifted her spirits each morning.  

I, too, have been touched by how this book was written. Each daily meditation is written from the perspective - as if “Jesus” was saying the words “DIRECTLY TO YOU”! Each meditation is followed by several “relatable bible verses”.  Judge for yourself - the below excerpts have been provided as "brief quotations in critical review" - for you "as the reader" to read, review and maybe purchase the book, for yourself (read below).  Since reading this book - I, personally have purchased 5 additional copies and have given them out to friends and family members as gifts -  

Today’s meditation was so inspiring; I wanted to share it with you:
 

I DESIGNED YOU to live in union with ME.  This union does not negate who you are; it actually makes you more fully yourself.

When you try to live independently of Me, you experience emptiness and dissatisfaction.  You may gain the whole world and yet lose everything that really counts.

Find fulfillment through living close to Me, yielding to My purposes for you. Though I may lead you along paths that feel alien to you, TRUST that I know what I am doing.

If you follow Me wholeheartedly, you will discover facets of yourself that were previously hidden. I know you intimately – far better than you know yourself.

In union with Me, you are complete.

In closeness to Me, you are transformed more and more into the one I designed you to be.
 

Mark 8:36

New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?


Psalm 139:13-16

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

 

Remember – JESUS LOVES YOU. He wants what is BEST for you and your life! God made you to glorify HIM! He has a plan for your life. You are not meant to walk this life alone!

Jesus says in Hebrews 13:5 – “I will never leave you, nor forsake you”. TRUST HIM. Lastly, Jeremiah 29: 11 reminds us:

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

Please listen and enjoy the below anointed song/video entitled, “To God Be the Glory” as sung by Andrae Crouch & the All-Star Choir..


 (I do not own the rights to this song.)


BE BLESSED!

"I DON'T MIND WAITING" - Psalm 40:1

This is Namma for Christ with the one hundred nineteenth inspirational message dated Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017.
The title of this message is “I Don’t Mind Waiting” – Psalm 40:1. The first four words of the title are also the title of the below anointed song/video entitled, “I Don’t Mind Waiting” (with lyrics) as sung by the Christian artist and speaker, Juanita Bynum.  The scripture for this message comes from the Old Testament book of what David wrote in the first verse of the 40th Psalm:

Psalm 40:1

New King James Version (NKJV)

Faith Persevering in Trial

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.

In my co-leading a daily prayer call (with my daughter), there are "some petitions" that are prayed for "every day".  We do not know "when" God will answer, but we are to "continually" give our petitions to the Lord - to answer in His Way and in His Time.  This is what the Psalmist David did in Psalm 40:1.  He “WAITED” patiently for the Lord.  It was not a single, momentary act of expectation or hope; it was “continuous”.  It was a prayer request or "prayer requests" in which David persevered in praying - the verse states (the Lord) "heard his cry".  Perseverance in prayer means there is repeated prayer requests, it is continued “supplication” and HOPE!  IT IS LETTING GO and LETTING GOD!  It is having FAITH and TRUST in our Lord to work it out –  to answer as HE sees fit!

GOD knows what is BEST and there are times in our lives where we have to truly GIVE IT TO THE LORD- and LEAVE IT THERE!  Whenever we have an issue, a problem, a difficulty or challenge – let us GIVE IT to the ONE WHO CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT: OUR LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

Let us remember what 1^st Peter 5:7 says to us:

1 Peter 5:7

King James Version (KJV)

 

⁷ Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.

 

Let us sing with Juanita Bynum – “I Don’t Mind Waiting” (with lyrics).  May you enjoy the below anointed song/video, “I Don’t Mind Waiting” and may you and yours…

  (I do not own the rights to this song.)

BE BLESSED!

 

“Oh My Soul”: Why am I depressed? Hope in God – Psalm 43:5

This is Namma for Christ with the one hundred eighteenth inspirational message dated Thursday, August 10th, 2017.
The title of this message is “Oh My Soul”: Why am I depressed? Hope in God – Psalm 43:5. The first three words of the title are also the title of the above anointed song/video (with lyrics) entitled, “Oh My Soul” as sung by the Christian group: Casting Crowns.  The scripture for this message comes from the Old Testament book of Psalms 43 - as taken from what David wrote in the 5^th verse of the 43^rd Psalm:

Psalm 43:5

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise Him,
    my Savior and my God.

 

During the first week of August (of 2017) was the first time I heard the above song, ”Oh My Soul” on my Christian radio station STAR 99.1FM by Casting Crowns.  I was so impressed by the passionate singing and the personal, tender-hearted lyrics of the song that I searched on Google to find the meaning behind the song.

I discovered that this song was written by one of the members of Casting Crowns, Mark Hall.  He wrote the lyrics of this song on the same night that he found out that he had cancer and that one of his kidneys had to be removed.  He remembered how the psalmist David had talked to himself during a difficult time and he remembered what David wrote in Psalm 43. 

Mark said, ”David was real about his praying! The psalmist David was sad, down and he may even had been depressed (for a moment)…but then he “REMEMBERED ABOUT THE GOD HE SERVED!” David started to “ENCOURAGE” himself in the Lord! He told himself, (paraphrasing): “OK…Now you know GOD got you! Don’t go by your feelings, right now…GO BACK TO WHAT YOU KNOW! Remember what you’ve been through…what you’ve written about before!  YOUR FEAR and YOUR FEELINGS have to FACE the GOD YOU KNOW! Take ONE DAY AT A TIME! You can follow GOD through a dark place and HE WILL BE WITH YOU on the other side!

These were the words that came to Mark Hall, which later became the lyrics to this great, inspirational song, “Oh My Soul”.

So, Christian believers – the next time that “you” feel sad, down or depressed over something YOU ARE GOING THROUGH…TAKE COMFORT in KNOWING THAT “GOD IS WITH YOU!”

PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD - AND PRAISE HIM FOR BEING YOUR SAVIOR AND YOUR GOD!

Remember this verse from Psalm 43:5

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise Him,
    my Savior and my God.

and remember Hebrews 13:5 says: "Jesus will never leave you, nor forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”

 

Remember – Jesus Loves YOU and HE WANTS WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU!  He loves you SO MUCH – HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR YOU! (John 3:16)

John 3:16

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

 

Please listen and enjoy the above anointed song/video (with lyrics) entitled, “Oh My Soul” as sung by Casting Crowns.


 (I do not own the rights to this song.)


BE BLESSED!

Hills & Valleys: Faith in God’s Sovereign Will – Hab. 3:17-18

This is Namma for Christ with the one hundred seventeenth inspirational message dated Friday, July 21st, 2017.  The title
of this message is “Hills and Valleys: Faith in God’s Sovereign Will – Habakkuk 3:17-18”. The first three words of the title are also the title of the above anointed song/video (with lyrics) entitled, “Hills and Valleys” as sung by Tauren Wells.  The scriptures for this message are from the Old Testament book of Habakkuk – chapter 3, the 17^th and 18^th verses:

Habakkuk 3:17-18 
New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls—

¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation

Recently, my Pastor gave a powerful, anointed message that I knew I had to share.  The title of his message was,
“Faith in God’s Sovereign Will – Habakkuk 3:17-18”. Below are excerpts from the message and the scripture for this message is listed above as found in Habakkuk
3:17-18:

My Pastor began his message by reminding us that Habakkuk was an Old Testament prophet who “dared to question God”. He asked “Why was God allowing His nation to suffer at the hands of the enemy?”  Why were bad things happening to good people?  He asked God what are you doing with my life and why are you doing it?  Habakkuk wants God to straighten out the things happening in his life, but he doesn’t like “how” God is doing it?  Habakkuk is
not struck down for asking the “hard questions” to God.  The Lord’s Reply is below:

The Lord’s Reply

Habakkuk 1:5
New King James Version (NKJV)

⁵ “Look among the nations and watch—

Be utterly astounded!

For I will work a work in your days

Which you would not believe, though it were told you.

The Lord’s Reply is that He will work a work in (Habakkuk’s) days – that he (Habakkuk) won’t believe.  Habakkuk is allowed to ask ALL
the questions that he wants…but they will not change God’s will and God’s plans.  Habakkuk’s questioning of God will not
change God’s salvation or His deliverance.  Habakkuk states what he knows about God –

As found in Habakkuk 1:12 below:

Habakkuk 1:12

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

¹² Are You not from everlasting,

O Lord my God, my Holy One?

We shall not die.

O Lord, You have appointed them for
judgment;

O Rock, You have marked them for correction.

 

The Lord replies to Habakkuk in the second chapter of Habakkuk  -

“the just will live by FAITH!” (as found in Habakkuk 2:4) See below:

Habakkuk 2:4

New King James Version (NKJV)

“Behold the proud,

His soul is not upright in him;

But the just shall live by his faith.

 

GOD advises Habakkuk (and all believers) that the only way to get over your “questions” and sorrow of what is going on – is to “HAVE FAITH IN GOD’S SOVEREIGN WILL!”

God stated in Habakkuk 2:20 -

Habakkuk 2:20

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

²⁰ “But the Lord is in His holy temple.

Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

Habakkuk finally realized, ”I don’t understand it all- But, I will PRAISE the LORD, anyway! ”  Habakkuk summarized
that he must TRUST IN THE LORD and rest in the Sovereign Hands of God and in His will!

How many of us question God  - as to why or what happens in our lives?  We, too, like Habakkuk - must TRUST IN THE
LORD and rest in His Sovereign Hands and the will of God!

Please listen and enjoy the above  anointed song/video (with lyrics) entitled, “Hills and Valleys” as sung by Tauren Wells.


 (I do not own the rights to this song.)
 

BE BLESSED!

 

 

Scars To Your Beautiful: His Masterpiece- Eph. 2:10

 This is Namma for Christ with the one hundred sixteenth inspirational message dated Friday, June 23rd, 2017.  The title of this message is, “Scars To Your Beautiful”: His Masterpiece - Eph. 2:10, Psalm 139:13-14”.  The first four words in the title of this message are also the words of the title of the above song/video (with lyrics) entitled, “Scars To Your Beautiful” as sung by the singer Alessia Cara.  The scriptures for this message come from two passages: one New Testament and one Old Testament passages of scripture – Ephesians 2:10 and Psalm 139:13-14:

Ephesians 2:10

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Psalm 139:13-14

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹³ For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

{The below excerpt was taken from the Internet from “Compelling Truth – Psalm 139:14)

What does it mean to be fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)?

Psalm 139:14 makes the well-known statement, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." This verse is often quoted, but what does it mean?

First, these words are a clear statement about the amazing capabilities of the human body God has created. Our bodies are made of billions of cells and a myriad of parts that can only be adequately explained by a loving and wise Creator and Designer (Genesis 1:26-27).

Second, this verse gives an indication of our value from God's perspective. He designed us. Much care is involved in the creation of each human being. As the verses immediately following Psalm 139:14 say, "My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." (Psalm 139:15-16).

Third, this verse reveals the inestimable worth of all human life. A direct application of this verse is the protection of life at all levels, from the womb to the final breath of a person's life. This is why Christians care deeply about the protection of life in the womb (Psalm 139:13), caring for those mistreated or undervalued by others in society (Proverbs 31:8-9), and for the elderly and those with terminal illnesses. As 1 John 4:19 shares, "We love because He first loved us."

Fourth, God's qualities of having all power (omnipotence) and all knowledge (omniscience) are revealed in this verse. God asked Job, "Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?" (Job 38:36). It's a rhetorical question; the answer is, of course, "God." No one else can take the credit for creating every person. No one else knows each person at the most intimate level. The same God who created the universe (Genesis 1:1) also knows the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7).

Finally, in this verse we find yet another reason to worship the Lord Almighty. He has created us in such wisdom, power, and love, and the only proper response is to honor Him and glorify His name. As the Psalms note elsewhere, "There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God" (Psalm 86:8-10).

 (The below passages were taken from the Internet: The Expository Files: “I am Fearfully & Wonderfully Made: Psalm 139:13-14)

God wove you. Like a tapestry, each of us is a complex creature (Exodus 26:36). All of our parts work together; each with a different job to do and all depending on the other parts (1 Corinthians 12:14-18). God works with the skill that confounds man. We recall the first creation which began it all (Genesis 2:7;22; 1:27). When God formed that initial human pair, He skillfully added mechanisms which would operate on the basis of natural law so that they would be able to re-create themselves. The Psalmist correctly identifies God as the Master Worker who is the source of our origin.

This should elicit praise and thanksgiving from our hearts (Psalm 139:14). We are "fearfully" (awe) and "wonderfully" (to distinguish) made. Each of us are unique in many ways, but also similar in many; each an original masterpiece of the Creator. Don't deny this aspect of your identity (too many have done so). God can use your special abilities (Psalm 139:16); He has a purpose for you!

{The below passages were taken from the Internet : Greg Laurie - A New Beginning – “God’s Masterpiece”}

God’s greatest masterpiece of creation is you. And it is me. We are God’s greatest masterpieces.

In fact, we read in Ephesians 2:10 that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (nkjv).

That word workmanship could be translated, “we are His work of art.” We are His poem. Or as another translation puts it, we are God’s masterpiece.

Without question, man is God’s greatest creation. Man is His crowning achievement.

The psalmist wrote of this when he said, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous — how well I know it” (Psalm 139:13-14 nlt).

If we look at Scripture, it would appear that God has a plan for us, even before we are conceived. In Jeremiah we read, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 nkjv).

God has His plan for a child, even before he or she is conceived, not to mention afterward.

And according to Scripture, there is a unique and custom-designed plan that God has in store just for those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ. God selected you and chose you so “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7 nkjv). 

That is what God wants to do for you.

If God were to reveal to you today how much He loves you, it would overwhelm you. It would devastate you to think of the love that He has for you in light of the way we all behave sometimes.

All He can give us at this point is the down payment of the Holy Spirit, and that alone overwhelms us at times. But in the ages to come, He is going to reveal His kindness and goodness toward us.

As I pointed out earlier, Ephesians says that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 nkjv). In addition to “workmanship” speaking of a poem or a work of art, it is a word that speaks of something that is perfect. It carries the idea of rhythm, orderliness, and beauty.

{The above passages were taken from the Internet : Greg Laurie - A New Beginning – “God’s Masterpiece”}

PRAISE GOD! YOU are HIS MASTERPIECE!

You are His work of art – and He wants to WORK Through YOU – for HIS GLORY!

Lean on, depend on and TRUST the LORD – He has GREAT plans for you – see Jeremiah 29:11 –

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Please enjoy the above song/video (with lyrics) entitled, “Scars To Your Beautiful” as sung by the singer Alessia Cara.


 (I do not own the rights to this song.)
 

BE BLESSED!

Beauty For Ashes - Isaiah 61:1-3

This is Namma for Christ with the one hundred fifteenth inspirational message dated Saturday, June 3rd, 2017.  The title of this message is, “Beauty for Ashes – Isaiah 61:1-3”.  The words in the title of this message are also the words in the title of the above song/video entitled “Beauty For Ashes” as sung by the Christian singer Crystal Lewis featuring Ron Kenoly*. The scripture comes from the first three verses of the 61st Chapter of the Old Testament book of Isaiah – as written by prophet Isaiah  (focusing on the 3rd verse):

 

Isaiah 61:1-3

New King James Version (NKJV)

61 “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,
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.”

 

The below excerpt was taken from the Internet via Sermon Central, entitled: “Beauty For Ashes, Joy For Mourning, Praise For Heaviness” as  contributed by Thomas Dibble (on May 22, 2003)

 

The Bible speaks of the Holy Ghost as being the Comforter. Aren’t you glad for the Holy Spirit of the Lord? He is the Comforter.

In our scripture text it says that God would appoint, or as the NKJV says, God would console those who mourn in Zion. There is enough of God to comfort all who mourn around the world. But His word specifically states those in Zion or those in God’s house are going to get God’s attention.

God’s people who are in:

 

-        Calamity

-        Desolation

-        Crisis situation

-        Mourning

-        Trouble

-        Hard times

-        Difficult circumstances

 

God’s people will surely get His attention. And if there is anybody who I want to have their attention – it’s God. I want His eyes upon me. I want His ear tuned in to my cry. I want to be underneath the umbrella of His protection. I want to live in the secret place of the Most High and abide under His feathers and under His wings.

The Bible says that He will give us beauty for ashes. In Bible times it was the custom for the people of that day to in great times of mourning and difficulty to lay in ashes. Just think about that. You’ve got a problem in your life and you just sit down in a pile of ashes. There is nothing beautiful about ashes.

But the scripture says He is going to take your difficult, disgusting, depressing and horrible situation and give you beauty. He is going to pick you up out of the ash pile of life and make something beautiful out of you.

The Hebrew word for ashes is "epher" and the Hebrew word for beauty is "pheer". Just move the "e" and you have a new word. And just as quickly as it takes for you to move one letter God is going to turn your sorrow into joy. He speaks and it is already done.

You may feel like your life is ugly and insignificant right now. But sometimes things that appear ugly just need the right climate to grow. There is a species of century plant called the “Maguey”. It grows for years with great course leaves as thick as two hands put together. It’s three inches thick and very long. It puts out sharp thorns and it’s just as ugly as can be. The longer it’s alive and the more it grows, it just gets uglier all the time. But suddenly it shoots up in just a couple of days and a great shaft tall and thick begins to grow. It decks it’s spreading head with thousands of flowers and becomes a beautiful plant.

The possibility of all that fragrant beauty was always in that detestable ugliness. Just as the fragrant beauty of your life is sometimes hidden underneath the calloused ritual. It is smothered by daily schedules and monotonous grind. Sometimes painful experiences cause beauty to come forth.

Written by Thomas Dibble 
 

Personally speaking, I have experienced “beauty for ashes” in my life…as I’m sure so many of you have, as well.  As a result of many of my most difficult circumstances - there has sprung up “blessings of beauty”, which never could have been blossomed in any other way – unless from the “ashes”.

Recently, I was watching a television show when a doctor stated that because of the unfortunate miscarriage of his and his wife’s first baby – he became an OB/GYN trained doctor so that he could help “safely” deliver future babies.  This doctor was able to turn his own sad, “personal” experience to “joyful experiences” for the families of the thousands of babies he successfully delivered. God blessed him to turn the spirit of “heaviness”  (he had experienced at one time) to the spirit of “joy”! Also, this doctor and his wife was able to later have a child of their own through adoption.

How has God changed a situation for “you” around!  How has God given YOU “Beauty for Ashes”? How has God given you “peace” for “despair” or "gladness for mourning"? God KNOWS your need, just believe what HE says!

Read the below scripture to remind you – how God works ALL things together for GOOD!

Romans 8:28

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁸ 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.

God is concerned about “YOU”– He cares for you – read the below text from Isaiah 43:1-7 :

Isaiah 43

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Redeemer of Israel

43 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
³ For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
⁴ Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
⁵ Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’

And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
⁷ Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

 

Please enjoy the above song/video (with lyrics) entitled “Beauty For Ashes” as sung by the Christian singer Crystal Lewis featuring Ron Kenoly* (* Ron Kenoly died on February 3, 2026, at the age of 81 - may he rest in Heavenly peace.)
 

 (I do not own the rights to this song.)

BE BLESSED!