The Exchange III

Isa.61:³ “To all who mourn in Zion, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” (NLT & NIV]

God is trading His beauty for our ashes and He is doing it in every area. We are going from barrenness to Fruitfulness, from sorrow to Joy, from bondage to Freedom, from loss to Recovery, from death to Life, from poverty to Wealth, and from shame to Honour. Why is it important for us to keep repeating the levels of beauty for ashes? Rom.10:¹⁷ (NKJV) “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” From shame to Honour. This is a prophetic statement about Jesus. Isa.50:⁶ “I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting.” If you have a beard you understand what it means for people to be mocking you and plucking your beard. It is very humiliating. But the people mocking Jesus did not stop there.

Jesus did not hide His face from the mockery and spitting. If somebody spits on your property, the person wants to shame you, right? If the person spits on your clothes or your body, the ramifications are bigger. Then if the person looks you in the face and spits in your face. Jesus says, “I did not hide My face; they were spitting, and I was taking it. I took it because I was thinking of Femi Monehin [insert your name], that because of this shame he has to get double honour in the Name of Jesus. Jesus took the shame so that you can have double honour. God allowed Jesus to take our shame so that we can have double honour. Honour would have been enough, but God says double. Isa.61:⁷ “Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.” (emphasis added). You will possess a double share of honour in your land, here on earth and everlasting joy will be yours in the Name of Jesus.

Have you experienced shame? Congratulations because double honour is here in the Name of Jesus. Check the scriptures; God has a soft spot for people that are humiliated. Take David for instance, David was humiliated in his father’s house. Whenever they call for a significant meeting, they do not even remember him or call him. Everything played out when Samuel came to anoint a king and Samuel asked Jesse to bring all his sons. Jesse called all his sons but David was a son from a shameful affair. That was why David wrote in Ps.51:⁵ (NKJV) “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” David was not referring to the Adamic sin. He was referring to the sin that led to his conception. David’s mother was not in the house, she was a side chick. So, when they gather all the legitimate children, they do not call David. But God says, “That is my king! I have found a man after My heart. I love that boy.”

Prayer: Thank You Jesus for trading Your beauty for my ashes; from barrenness to fruitfulness, from sorrow to joy, from bondage to freedom, from loss to recovery, from death to life, from poverty to wealth, and from shame to honour, in Jesus Name. Amen!