Beauty for Ashes
(6 minutes)
"The wilderness is an invitation into the unfamiliar. The reason most people don't like to go into the wilderness is because they don't know what to expect, every single time it doesn't look like anything it's ever looked like before, and this is the issue: familiar methods always war against the things of God. Do I want it to be familiar or do I want the heart of God? The wilderness is where you make this decision." (Pastor Tim)
The wilderness is where we trade our familiar, religious lens for Jesus. We let go of everything that we've known up to this point and we allow Jesus to shape our beliefs, opinions, and ideas. Jesus is exactly what the Father has to say about Himself. Jesus is perfect theology. If you want to know the Father's heart, you must go to Jesus to find out. If you've seen Jesus, you've seen the Father.
The mighty Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is wrapped around me because Yahweh has anointed me, as a messenger to preach good news to the poor. He sent me to heal the wounds of the brokenhearted, to tell captives, "You are free," and to tell prisoners, "Be free from your darkness." I am sent to announce a new season (eon) of Yahweh's grace and a time of God's recompense on his enemies, to comfort all who are in sorrow, to strengthen those crushed by despair who mourn in Zion -- to give them a beautiful bouquet in the place of ashes, the oil of bliss instead of tears, and the mantle of joyous praise instead of the spirit of heaviness.
Because of this, they (you, me, us) will be known as Mighty Oaks of Righteousness, planted by Yahweh as a living display of his glory. They will restore ruins from long ago and rebuild what was long devastated. They will renew ruined cities and desolations of past generations. (Isaiah 61:1-4)
This scripture is the heart of God for you and the places that you are planted.
Christianity stopped after "preach good news to the poor," but Yahweh has so much more for his Beloved Sons and Daughters! Religion cut us off from experiencing the rest of this verse. We settled for telling people about Jesus when our intimacy with Abba was supposed to take us into so much more. Like Pastor Tim said on Sunday, what's the use of telling people about Jesus when you don't have a life that anyone wants? Our intimacy with Jesus was meant to produce abundant life, overflowing with the peace, joy and righteousness of the Kingdom. There was a deeper healing that was supposed to come after hearing the good news, but religion cut us off from that encounter. We traded true healing for man-handling our brokenness and keeping it out of view. We traded complete wholeness for hiding. We traded real rest for shameful striving. But not so for those that Abba is luring our into the wilderness!
"It's easy to tell stories about Jesus and confess how good He is. It's a whole other situation to open your heart up and let Him heal every area of your life until you become someone worth following." (Pastor Tim)
This is where we are in this process: "He sent Jesus to heal the wounds of the brokenhearted."
Our Kingdom family is walking into healing waters. We're opening up and allowing Abba to address every broken part of our hearts. We're trading our ashes for beauty. We're trading our tears for joy. We're trading the heavy weight of shame for praise. It's a process. It's a journey. One that Abba greatly enjoys taking with His kids.
But if we're not letting Abba set the pace, we may be missing out on what He's trying to do. And we certainly won't be enjoying the process with Him. Our pace matters and it's something Abba wants to put His finger on this week, if we let Him.
Beloved One, open your heart up today, in honesty and vulnerability, and allow Abba to address every broken area. He's coming to mend your heart and make it whole again. He's giving you beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise for heaviness. He doesn't want your life to be spent managing your brokenness. He wants your life spent enjoying every moment as you walk with Him in the place He's planted you, with a whole heart, like you were designed to have from the very beginning.
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Worship: "Beauty for Ashes" by UPPERROOM
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
