Truth Serum: Beauty for Ashes

My truth serum is that I am an imperfect person who beats myself up for being just that. Even though I love God, I'm just like you. I get attitudes, I tell God no and I go to sleep without reading my bible, (I’m not even going to start on my thought patterns), but my biggest fault is that I lack joy. No matter who you are or where you are, you should have joy. God said that his peace would surpass all understanding and most days I still look for that peace.

We mess up when we try to understand God because we will never understand him. We wonder why things happen the way that they do, but I’m blessed whenever I see or hear someone speak who has his joy and his peace.

The difference between the world’s joy and God’s joy is that the things of the world will never make you happy. Stop comparing yourself to other people and just accept God because he has already accepted you. As humans, we mess up and question God when we should just trust him and know that all that he is (his greatness, his majesty), all that he has, and all that he does is enough. In so many ways we are like Israel because even though he led them with fire and a cloud, they still did not trust him. We need to start believing God at his word instead of asking him to move mountains every time we are unsure about his plan.

Whatever your truth serum may be, take it to him and know that he understands and still loves you. There is no use in keeping everything you consider a fault bottled up in the back of your little closet because God knows even the secret places of our lives. God can take those things that you are ashamed of and make them a sweet smelling perfume that will bless his people. Look at ministers such as Joyce Meyer. God took her life, her tears, her childhood and her shame and exchanged them for glory. God will make those things that you are afraid to share an expensive perfume that will be valued.

In Mark 14, Judas did not understand why the woman was pouring this expensive bottle of perfume on Jesus’ feet, Jesus told Judas that she was preparing him for his burial. Judas could not understand the woman’s actions. But Jesus said “What she has done will be told anywhere the good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her " (Mark 14:6).You are holding on to some valuable perfume and God wants you to crack open the bottle and release it unto him. People may not understand your actions, but what you will be doing will be a beautiful thing.

Don’t you dare sit back and say that your sin is too big because we all struggle with something. We all have days when we feel like less than nothing, but God knows about even that secret place you think that you are hiding from him and he wants to replace your shame. Receive his beauty for Ashes.

“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory (Isaiah 61:3)”.

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JaNina B.

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