The Great Exchange

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Graeme Wilson in Freedom Fighters

Join us tonight, February 12th for our Men’s Fellowship Night with Pastor Willy Winborne. Check out this link for details!!! Come bring a friend!!!

The Great Exchange

“To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;  That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”Isaiah 61:3

Isaiah 61:1, 2 are a great portion of scripture as quoted by Jesus in the 4th chapter of Luke. It’s probably one of the most comforting things His followers ever heard.

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.”

The following verse is what I like to call “The Great Exchange”. I prefer the King James word for console, it’s “appoint unto them”, it can be defined as “to ordain or establish”. I like exchange.

The Great Exchange

I remember growing up and before I could get out the door to visit my Mom would put a halt on my exit until I was presentable. I’d have to trade my worn and dirty clothes for a set of fresh and clean ones, also the dirt that was covering me would need to come off.

God is telling us that a benefit of belonging to Him is that Jesus is able to “give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness”. To know that when we cast our cares on Him, He cares for us in a way that prepares us to represent Him.

In the same way my Mom wouldn’t want her son to misrepresent our family God wants us to walk in victory “That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

If we’re a child of God and walk around with a dooms day mentality, it sends a confusing signal to an unbelieving world.

What is it about your walk that is appealing to someone who doesn’t know the Lord. I believe that we have an obligation to take heed to the word of God, not only for our own good but also to represent and glorify Him. In Psalm 23 we’re told “He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”.

When we do the things that glorify God we can experience “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Phil 4:7.

So are you ready to trade in or exchange your ashes? If so, God wants to turn them into something beautiful. Rob Russomano is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves full-time at America’s Keswick. You can email him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org

Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 53-55; Mark 13:1-20

Think About This: “We have been brought into an unshakable kingdom and our home in Christ is secure. And this home is established on his sacrificial love. It does not collapse under the weight of our sins, the strength of our enemies, or the assault of death itself.”~~Ed Welch

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

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