Transforming the Heart

Isaiah 61:1-3a NIV 

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- 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. 

In this chapter of Isaiah, the Prophet is under the anointing of God, proclaiming God's word that He will give us a crown of beauty (happiness, praise and freedom) in exchange for the ashes we have taken on. 

In the Old Testament times, people would put on sackcloth and cover themselves in ashes to show they were grieving, mourning or disgraced. They would wear or become their hurt. God sent Isaiah to declare (prophesy) that He would give us (through Jesus Christ) freedom from hurt (through righteousness and salvation) when we exchange those ashes caused from hurt for a crown of beauty (our happiness and praise). So, we no longer have to put on ashes and become a product of our hurt, our grief or our disgrace! 

B4A - Transformation of the Heart, tells one woman's journey of removing her ashes and exchanging them to live in her crown of beauty. This material is intended to offer you the same freedom to exchange your ashes for your own crown of beauty.