The Exchange V

Ps.126:^1-2 (KJV) When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

Yesterday, we said that when God wants to beautify, robe or crown someone, He puts a smile on his or her face. Smiling makes you beautiful. I pray that you will smile physically, you will smile spiritually, you will smile emotionally, and you will smile relationally in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Who would you rather hang out with, someone that is always frowning or someone that is always happy and smiling? Who would you want your spouse to be? “…Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing…”. When God wants to beautify you, He fills your mouth with laughter. When laughter whirls up in you, your countenance changes. Even when you are angry with someone and the person is joyful, it disarms you. Joy is contagious. But when you are angry with someone and the person is frowning, your response is very different.

I know for some of us, God has been faithful. We are all cool, doing well, and we are beautiful all round. There are pretty much no ashes anywhere or maybe a few insignificant ashes here and there. You go to church, attend prayer meetings, and plug into spiritual exercises because you love God. You really do not get why people are praying so hard, but you want God to answer their prayers. I have news for you; by the time God is done with you, that thing you think is beautiful now [because beauty is relative], will look like ashes, in the Name of Jesus.

Without mentioning the brand name of any phone, you buy one phone and the alarm on that phone is brutal, it can wake Jonah up, but you are excited about the phone. Then suddenly, God blesses you with another phone. You look at your previous phone and you wonder how you could have rejoiced over it. When God breathes on you, the beauty you think is beauty today, will be nothing compared to what you have today when you look back. However, it is okay to rejoice because life is in stages. I am just a messenger sent to announce to you that the chapter of the old has come to an end in your life and the chapter of the new has begun, in the Name of Jesus.

God is saying to you, “bring your ashes, give Me your ashes.” For some of us, we are holding tightly to ashes because we are addicted to them. For some, the ashes they are addicted to is a relationship, or substance, or even to worrying. Worrying is your ashes and is your pet at the same time. Remember the story of the lady who came to see us weighed down by worries. So, we took her through God’s Word, and by the time we were done, we could see the joy radiating from her, but as she was about to step out of my office, she looked back and said, “Pastor, now that I’m not worrying again, what should I be doing?” I found that very strange, but it revealed that worrying had become her pet. God wants to take away all the ashes you are addicted to and give you His beauty. Will you give it to Him?

Prayer: Lord, I bring everything that represents ashes in my life [those I am aware of, those I am not aware of, and those I consider beautiful]. I receive Your beauty, in Jesus Name. Amen!