I’ve Been Set Free
Beauty from Ashes
Throughout the Bible, as well as ancient practices, ashes have been the symbol of deep repentance and grief. Sometimes our lives have been painful. Sometimes they’ve been difficult. And sometimes they’ve felt very dark. Life leaves its mark on us, like ashes of grief, in the deepest parts of our being, where no one but God can really see.
Our lives have been littered with shame and rejection and unmet need. They haven’t been easy, and many times our lives have felt really unfair. In the middle of all this, we’ve often wondered where God was, why He would have allowed such bad things to happen to us, and why He didn’t step into our painful situation and make it right.
God’s Word Says He Was There in the Midst of It All
Even though we may have not always seen it, or felt it, or even understood it, we can have certainty that God is, was, and will be with us through every painful time in our lives. He reassures us in Isaiah 61:3 (NIV), “to provide for those who grieve… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.”
God will never reject us or abandon us. His love for us is greater than we could ever imagine, even if we may have felt He was absent amid the messiness of the world we grew up in and now live in. Jesus reminds us in John 16:33 (NIV), “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the world.”
Jesus Christ came to set us free, to redeem us, and to bring us hope. He came to give us beauty from the ashes of our lives.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor… Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance” (Isaiah 61:1-3, 7 NIV).
——-
Soul health and spiritual maturity cannot be separated. Our counselors are ordained Christian ministers as well as certified and licensed Christian counselors. We are able to help you experience freedom from shame, anxiety, depression, or marriage / relationship conflict with methods that are purely Christ-centered. Please click on this link to learn much more about how our DEPRESSION COUNSELING can help you become a more authentic follower of Christ, and help you find freedom from identity dependence.
Life Training offers convenient sessions at our office in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as online counseling via Zoom or FaceTime. Our non-profit counseling practice has an outstanding track record for over a decade helping men and women, individuals and couples who are ready to move beyond anxiety, depression, and conflicts in marriage or other relationships find hope and healing in their lives. Contact us today at 502-717-5433, or by email at drdave@lifetrainingcounseling.org