January 21
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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. – Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)
CROWN OF BEAUTY FOR ASHES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Have you been grieving for something lost?
You have been promised a crown from the Lord
This crown replaces all the pain from your losses
He will replace all the ashes of death with beauty.
The Lord gives you hope when there is despair
He will bring you to a resolution and find a way
Run to the Lord for all your cares and burdens
He will restore and bring you closer to heaven.
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For five decades, the enemy have kept me in bondage from all the pain that traumatic experiences and losses brought in my life. There were stages in these years that I was in deep despair. I was blinded by the enemy to keep believing the lies that I have learned since I was a small child. I had no idea that there were many promises to those who love the Lord until I became born again and hungered for knowing the truth. The Lord revealed to me many of his teachings to correct all the lies that I was made to believe. In a few years, he delivered me from all the ugliness of my experiences and gave me a crown of beauty.
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PRAYER
Lord, thank you for recycling all the ashes into the beauty you have made me.
REFLECTION
How can we easily recognize the beauty in the ugly experiences we encounter?
For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com
Tag Archives: Isaiah 61:3
Beauty for Ashes poem devotional
June 17________________________________________
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. – Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)
BEAUTY FOR ASHES
A poem and essay by ILMA
Are you mourning over losing someone?
Have you been enslaved by anyone?
How much have you been suffering in this life?
There’s hope for those who cannot see the light.
God promised a crown of beauty for ashes
Jesus received beatings and so many lashes
He died so that sinners can be redeemed
Be joyful, he saved us and cleared us of sin.
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It is not hard to feel despair in this wicked and chaotic world we live in. There are so many hopeless and lonely people. I used to be one when I was bonded to sin. What is ironic is that I thought I was saved but then my life was still full of discontent and longings. I did everything to satisfy my cravings and to provide for all my needs. I didn’t’ realize that Christ had already died for me and that I am free from the darkness of sin. I didn’t have to do anything for him to love me more. He already does and he has died for me already.
The bible talks in Isaiah about the promise of God to those who mourn. He will replace their sorrow with a crown of beauty. He will deliver them from despair.
PRAYER
Lord, help me never to despair.
REFLECTION
Relate a time when you were delivered from hopelessness.
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For more testimonials about God’s word, please go to YouTube and type ILMA’s poem devotional or go to www.ilmaarts.com posts. To receive emails of my poem devotionals, email me at ILMA.ARTS.STUDIO@gmail.com