By Paul Chappell
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto
them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the
planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."
Isaiah 61:3
Following a massive wildfire that ravaged thousands of acres
of land in Utah ,
a volunteer returned to the site of an eagle’s nest that had been burned in the
fire. He was expecting to retrieve the band he had earlier placed on a baby
golden eagle, fearing that it had been killed in the fire. To his amazement,
the two-month-old baby, though badly burned, was still alive although its beak
and talons and feathers were all damaged by the blaze. The baby eagle was taken
to a wildlife rescue center where it was named Phoenix . The staff believes that after a year
of therapy and the natural regrowth of feathers through molting, it will be
able to be released into the wild.
When we experience difficult or even devastating events, we
may be tempted to wonder if things will ever be right—if we will ever be happy
again. But we serve a God who transforms the past, replacing mourning with joy
and sadness with praise. There are no circumstances which dictate that we are
doomed to a life of regret and emptiness. Instead God promises that as we come
to Him, He will replace pain with hope.
In His first sermon preached in Nazareth , Jesus said that He was the
fulfillment of the Messianic promise in Isaiah 61. Jesus Himself suffered
greatly, enduring the pain of the cross “for the joy that was set before him”
(Hebrews 12:2). Because of His death and resurrection, we can find freedom from
the pain of the past and hope for a beautiful and glorious future.
Today's Rooted Principle:
God can replace the ashes of painful events in your past
with His beauty as you trust Him with your circumstances.
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