Jesus said He would “provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor.” -Isaiah 61-3 (NIV)
Going through something traumatic can cause extreme anguish. Maybe we blame ourselves, maybe it was at the hand of others, or neither-either way, it hurts. For me, dealing with deep pain caused me to become numb. I think of an injured animal that will find a safe place to rest, heal, and lick their wounds.
In that safe place I was quiet, inside and out. I delved into the word of God and let Him speak to me, I prayed He would help me to feel again. He sent others to show kindness and speak truth. Little-by-little, Jesus lifted the heaviness of my heart, the corners of my mouth and I cracked a smile.
The smile reminded me of a song we’d sing as a family-years ago, that went like this, “When I’m feeling sad, Jesus makes me glad. Oops! Here comes a smile!” On days when there is not a bounce in my step and my face has forgotten to smile, I turn on praise music and focus on Christ who clothes me with a garment of praise and before I know it, “Oops! Here comes a smile!”
Relevant reading: Romans 8:28
Heavenly Father, may You plant in us Your joy, may You take our ashes and create something beautiful that will display Your splendor.
This devotion by author, Terrie Miles, is exclusively and solely shared with permission to New Beginnings Church. Any unauthorized printed reproduction, sharing or use of this material is prohibited.
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