He sent me to give them flowers in place of their sorrow, olive oil in place of their tears, and joyous praise in place of broken hearts. They will be called “Trees of Justice,” planted by the Lord to honor his name.
Isaiah 61:3 CEVU
I woke up this morning with this verse on my heart. How good is our God! He promises us to replace our sorrows, our tears, and our broken hearts with His Goodness. As you read this, you may be in a place of sorrow or sadness. Maybe, something has devastated your life. Maybe, you are simply disappointed. Things happen in life because there is an evil enemy who sets out to destroy our lives. Sometimes, his attacks are huge and immediately recognizable. Sometimes, they are well-hidden, sneaky in nature. Whatever it is, whatever form the enemy has used to attack your life, is of no consequence today. Don’t get me wrong! I am not minimizing the devastation you may have or may be facing. I am simply reminding you that you don’t have to live with it. You see in Isaiah 61:3, God promises you joy! He promises you restoration and recovery! He promises you that you will be replanted and that your life will bring Him honor. Simply put, He promises you that whatever devastation you may have is not permanent. It is not all-powerful! It is subject to God’s incredible, glorious grace!
Last night, my mind was wrestling with the “what if’s” and the “if only’s”. But this morning, I am reminded that you and I don’t have to live like that. We don’t have to be aware of the “what if’s” or “if only’s”. The Bible tells us clearly in I Peter 5:7 to cast our cares on Jesus. Whatever your sorrow, whatever your worry, whatever your tears, whatever has broken your heart, cast it on Jesus. Give it to Him. Consciously decide to let Him have it. Let it go today! Quit taking ownership of the devastation in your life. Let Jesus have it once and for all; and every time, the devil tries to make you reclaim it, stand your ground! Give it to Jesus once and for all! Allow Him to care for you, to heal you, to restore you, to transform you, and to reestablish you! To be the women God has destined us to be, we must be willing to allow His grace to take over our lives. His grace has the power to overcome all devastation! Period! Please accept that today! I encourage you to meditate on Isaiah 61:3 and begin believing for what it promises is yours. Believe that you are planted by the Lord and that your life will bring glory and honor to HIM! I love you and can’t wait to celebrate with you at One Women’s Conference! It’s just days away! See you there!
Shannon
