Isaiah 61:3 {He has sent me (v.1)] to comfort all who mourn,
… to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead
of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
This chapter begins by giving the foundational truth that
provides the power to do what this verse says God has sent His messenger to
do. It is the anointing of God by His
Spirit that gives the ability to meet people’s needs in the midst of sadness
and despair. Only God can help a person
deal with mourning because it is such an intensely person experience. No matter what the personality of an
individual may be or how that affects their feelings or experiences of
mourning, what God provides for comfort will meet that person’s need. A crown of beauty may look different on me
than on you but in both cases it replaces the ashes. The same will be true of the oil of gladness
that covers the mourning like perfume. I
especially like the picture of despair being replaced by a garment of
praise. I think that is the ultimate
proof of God’s ability to meet our needs.
He gives us a crown and a garment along with a good measure of perfume,
all of which covers the sadness and mourning we may feel. It is like getting a complete make-over!
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