It’s Time to Surrender Your Mess
Are you waiting on God to make something beautiful out of your mess?
To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for His own glory. Isaiah 61:3
For the Children of Israel ashes were the result of sacrifices surrendered to the priest in obedience to God’s command.
You and I want beauty to replace our ashes, but I wonder if we want to surrender the sacrifice. To take our mess and obediently surrender it to the Lord.
Whether your mess is your own doing, someone else’s, or just because life is hard . . . it doesn’t matter.
It’s time to surrender your mess.
If it’s your mess – repent. Offer God your confession and admit His way is best.
If it’s someone else’s mess – forgive. Offer you hurt and anger to God and trust Him to take care of you.
If it’s just because life is hard – trust. Offer your fear and anxiety to God confident of His love for you.
God will give you a crown of beauty for ashes. He promised to take your sacrifice and turn it into something beautiful.
From the sacrifices of repentance, forgiveness, and trust . . . God gives the beauty of healing, peace, joy, and hope.
Are you longing for beauty in your life?
What mess do you need to sacrifice today?
Quotes to Inspire Surrender
“God wants you to be delivered from what you have done and from what has been done to you – Both are equally important to Him.” ~Joyce Meyer
Who is a God like You? You forgive sin and overlook the rebellion of Your faithful people. You will not be angry forever, because You would rather show mercy. Micah 7:18
“Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, He reaches out in kindness and says, “I can clean that if you want.” And from the basin of His grace, He scoops a palm full of mercy and washes our sin.” ~Max Lucado
I am the Lord who heals you. Exodus 15:26
“Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.” ~Martin Luther
The Lord, your God, loves you. Deuteronomy 23:5
“I am not a theologian or a scholar, but I am very aware of the fact that pain is necessary to all of us. In my own life, I think I can honestly say that out of the deepest pain has come the strongest conviction of the presence of God and the love of God.” ~Elisabeth Elliot
You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! Psalm 30:11–12
Are you ready to offer your mess to God and let Him give you beauty for ashes?
Father, Thank you for Your forgiveness, healing, and love. Thank you for faithfully keeping Your promises. Thank you for taking our sacrificed messes and turning them into something beautiful. We are blessed. Praise and glory now and forever. Amen.
Photo Credit – BossFight.co
I love reading your posts. You can see God speaking through you to encourage and strengthen others with the truths of God’s word. May God continue to grant you the strength to be obedient and share the love of God for such a time as this.
Thank you so much Grace! You are so kind. I love sharing the amazing ways God has worked in my life. His love overwhelms me every single day!
Beautiful post, Deb! Thanks so much for sharing! Peace and many blessings to you, Love! 🙂
Thank you dear friend! Blessings to you as well!! <3
Yes, Lord, take my mess and turn it into the beautiful thing you see in its place!
Wonderful post, Deb!
Blessings!
Thank you Martha! God’s blessings to you!
Deb, What a beautiful post! I really needed to hear the quotes and the inspired Word of God. Thank you for this wonderful reminder of how God can use us and our situation for His glory. I want to be that beautiful oak tree standing tall after surviving the stroke as an example of his power and for his glory! Thanks again for sharing. Have a wonderful week and may god continue to bless you and yours!
What a beautiful post! This is something I was struggling with a couple of weeks ago. I knew I was forgiven and I thought I had forgiven, but the thought “what if?” kept haunting me. “What if you’re not forgiven?” “Have you really forgiven?”
I had to take time to be alone with God and consciously F.O.R.G.I.V.E. and it felt so good!
He can’t start working in our lives until we completely surrender to Him, but when we do He gives us beauty for ashes! He is a faithful God. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Alice! It can be a struggle at times, but remembering to give it all to Jesus quickly turns things around. And then I have to “rinse and repeat” often to keep myself from getting caught up in messy thinking. But oh, to know and love the One who is always faithful! That is a blessing!