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Beauty for Ashes from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

We live in an age of smiling despair. Like a whitewashed tomb, everything looks fine on the outside, but inside us, there is a pile of dead dreams. The things we struggle with seem overwhelming, and we don't feel strong enough to face them. The enemy wants you to get tired and quit. To make you feel like you just can't win this time, for he is too strong, and you are alone. He is a liar!

Jesus Christ was baptized in the Jordan River and driven by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He fasted forty days. He returned in the "Power" of the Spirit and went to His hometown of Nazareth, where He grew up. On the Sabbath day, He went to the synagogue:

(Luke 4:16–17 NKJV)  So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

(Luke 4:18–20 NKJV)  “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

(Luke 4:21 NKJV)  And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The Lord Jesus Christ came to reverse the destructive work of the enemy, and He did it by speaking anointed words. He preached, proclaimed, and spoke words, and miracles happened around Him. He healed the brokenhearted with anointed words. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor."  

If you study the miracles of Jesus, you will find that most of the time, He merely spoke anointed words to the situation or person. While researching this, I found over twenty occurrences where Jesus said words, and a miracle happened without Him touching anything. Here are seven of them:

(Mark 1:25–26 NKJV)  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.

(Matthew 9:6–7 NKJV) —then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And he arose and departed to his house.

(Matthew 12:13 NKJV)  Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.

(Matthew 8:13 NKJV)  Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

(Mark 4:38–39 NKJV)  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

(John 5:8–9 NKJV)  Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. 

(John 11:43–44 NKJV)  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes...

Anointed words have power. Yet, how often do we struggle in frustration and speak curses into the situation? The Lord doesn't give us any more power than we have because He can't trust us not to call down fire from heaven on our neighbor, which is probably the same with our finances. Why would He trust us with a lot if He can't trust us with a little? 

(Luke 16:10–11 NASB)  “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. “Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?

If you aren't faithful to the Lord right now where you are, you won't be faithful anywhere else either. If you won't tithe on a small amount, neither will you tithe on a large amount. Ouch! I didn't write it. I read it...  

Jesus provided us with an opportunity for a divine trade. He was divine by nature but chose to be born as flesh. We are flesh by nature but can choose to become divine.

The verse that Jesus read in the synagogue at Nazareth was from the book of Isaiah, and He broke it off at a comma, mid-sentence. Why? Here is the verse He stopped halfway through:

(Isaiah 61:2 NKJV)  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; 

The prophecy in this verse spans two timeframes. "The acceptable year of the Lord" began then and continues until now. The first coming of Jesus brought a season of grace. A season to repent and get ready. When Jesus comes again, it will be "the day of vengeance of our God." Even Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, whether good or bad. Hopefully, it is to receive our reward and the treasure in heaven we have stored up! Well done, thou good and faithful servant!

(2 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV)  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

As in the days of Noah, when the door of the ark was shut, and the rain started to fall, those outside perished. The five foolish bridesmaids who were not ready met with a locked door (Matthew 25:11). Today is the day of salvation. We are not promised tomorrow. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments. 

(John 15:7 NKJV)  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

(John 15:9–11 NKJV)  “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

There is joy and satisfaction like no other when you are walking close to the Lord. The Comforter is always with us, though we are often slow to recognize His presence. The enemy would rather shroud you in darkness and cover you in a blanket of gloom to extinguish your hope. The Isaiah verse continues on:

(Isaiah 61:2–3 NKJV)  ...To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness...

This is a reversed list: For those who mourn are comforted. We have the ashes before beauty, mourning before the oil of joy, and heaviness before the garment of praise. It's a trade. He will take our brokenness, if we will let it go, and replace it with something far better. 

Ashes are something that has burned up, but He will take that and replace it with something beautiful. Our mourning can be turned into joy. And that spirit of heaviness can be driven away by praise and worship. Demons despise anointed praise music, and if you are around it enough, they will leave the area and leave you alone. 

The devil wants you separated, but Jesus Christ wants you liberated. You are not beaten, for you can do all things through Christ Jesus, who will strengthen you. Stop looking down at yourself. Turn to Him. He knew who you were before He called you, and He did it anyway. Forgive yourself. Pick yourself up. Pull yourself together, and get ready, for the best is yet to come. It's about to get exciting. 

You can pray this with me if you like: 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me fulfill my destiny here and Your perfect will in my life. Make what is important to You important to me! I want to be in tune with what You are doing on Earth today. I am seeking You today. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!