Jesus has come for the broken-hearted: To bind them up in His peace; To give freedom for captives And from the darkness release. Jesus has come to proclaim His favor, His comfort for all who mourn; Giving hope for all who grieve And a crown instead of scorn. A crown of beauty instead of ashes; The oil of gladness for pain; Garments of praise for despair; Righteousness of Christ to gain. Instead of shame, receive forgiveness; A double portion of love. Every disgrace turned to joy, Redemption sent from above. Clothed me with heavenly garments Of salvation by His grace. Arrayed in a spotless robe, His righteousness I’ll embrace. (Based on Isaiah 61)
We are waking up to a new season. The grasses are green, the purple flowers are in all the fields, seeds sown are breaking ground, and new birth abounds. The gray of winter has become a beautiful scene that brings sun and smiles. This reminds me of how God can take anything we experience and change our circumstances into beauty. When we least expect it, God can change us from the gloomy feeling of winter darkness to the beauty of His glorious light.
We should view life’s problems with faith. When we expect the worst to greet us in the morning, we should instead trust God’s grace and love to lead us to recovery, growth, and victory. God repairs broken hearts and frees us from sin. He comforts the sad with “a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3). He is our hope in life’s trails. It may be we must wait for heaven to find complete relief, but God is with us through our journey. Our good news comes when we have faith in God’s good promises.