THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
From Ashes to Beauty.
By Deborah Shaffer January 2nd, 2025
“‘… To comfort all who mourn, 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 61:2–3
If you had told me 50 years ago how my life would turn out, I probably would have ended it right there. I certainly would have made different choices ... but only God knows what those choices would have brought about. The truth is, it’s by a gift of God—His grace—that we don’t know the future. I am learning that in the most painful ways. Not only is it useless to dwell on the “what ifs” and the thoughts of “if only I had done this differently,” but they don’t glorify God, either. This is my life, today. This is all I have to offer the Lord.
My life is an ash pile. Seeds of destruction were planted years ago, leading to the crux of my despair today. It has not only touched me, but the very hearts of my entire family, church, and the few close-knit friends in which we fellowshipped. And now, I find myself trying to find purpose, joy, and make sense out of my life. You see, after nearly 45 years of marriage, raising a family, and having several grandchildren, my husband was recently incarcerated and is now serving a 12-year sentence. This blindsided me. I never imagined such horror or shame. This certainly is not what I expected as I dreamed of my upcoming “golden years.” Yes, I truly know what it means to be broken—heart, soul, and body. My whole world has fallen apart, as this has penetrated every fiber of my being. This has affected every aspect of my life. Nothing is safe. Nothing’s been left untouched. Life will never be the same.
There is only one thing that will never fail or change for me—my hope, faith, my all is in Jesus Christ. I praise God for my firm foundation in Jesus Christ, my Lord. Through the endless days and nights of weeping, confusion, and betrayal, He is there. Through the sleeplessness, questions (many without answers), uncertainties of my future, He is there. Through the changes in me that I cannot even articulate, I know He is there. Even though I don’t understand and my heart feels ripped from my chest at times, He is there. His love is steadfast and sure.
As the old hymn asks, “Are you weary, are you heavyhearted? Tell it to Jesus.” He didn’t come just to bring salvation to our souls, He came to bring us joy and abundant life.
My life is an ash pile right now, but I know in my heart of hearts that beauty will emerge one day. My life may be shattered in a million pieces, but He is able to put it all back together more perfectly than before it was broken. Someday, through all this, we will stand as a “tree of righteousness” that the Lord planted so I, and my husband, may once again glorify the Lord.
From Ashes to Beauty.
By Deborah Shaffer January 2nd, 2025
“‘… To comfort all who mourn, 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 61:2–3
If you had told me 50 years ago how my life would turn out, I probably would have ended it right there. I certainly would have made different choices ... but only God knows what those choices would have brought about. The truth is, it’s by a gift of God—His grace—that we don’t know the future. I am learning that in the most painful ways. Not only is it useless to dwell on the “what ifs” and the thoughts of “if only I had done this differently,” but they don’t glorify God, either. This is my life, today. This is all I have to offer the Lord.
My life is an ash pile. Seeds of destruction were planted years ago, leading to the crux of my despair today. It has not only touched me, but the very hearts of my entire family, church, and the few close-knit friends in which we fellowshipped. And now, I find myself trying to find purpose, joy, and make sense out of my life. You see, after nearly 45 years of marriage, raising a family, and having several grandchildren, my husband was recently incarcerated and is now serving a 12-year sentence. This blindsided me. I never imagined such horror or shame. This certainly is not what I expected as I dreamed of my upcoming “golden years.” Yes, I truly know what it means to be broken—heart, soul, and body. My whole world has fallen apart, as this has penetrated every fiber of my being. This has affected every aspect of my life. Nothing is safe. Nothing’s been left untouched. Life will never be the same.
There is only one thing that will never fail or change for me—my hope, faith, my all is in Jesus Christ. I praise God for my firm foundation in Jesus Christ, my Lord. Through the endless days and nights of weeping, confusion, and betrayal, He is there. Through the sleeplessness, questions (many without answers), uncertainties of my future, He is there. Through the changes in me that I cannot even articulate, I know He is there. Even though I don’t understand and my heart feels ripped from my chest at times, He is there. His love is steadfast and sure.
As the old hymn asks, “Are you weary, are you heavyhearted? Tell it to Jesus.” He didn’t come just to bring salvation to our souls, He came to bring us joy and abundant life.
My life is an ash pile right now, but I know in my heart of hearts that beauty will emerge one day. My life may be shattered in a million pieces, but He is able to put it all back together more perfectly than before it was broken. Someday, through all this, we will stand as a “tree of righteousness” that the Lord planted so I, and my husband, may once again glorify the Lord.
THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
From Ashes to Beauty.
By Deborah Shaffer January 2nd, 2025
“‘… To comfort all who mourn, 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 61:2–3
If you had told me 50 years ago how my life would turn out, I probably would have ended it right there. I certainly would have made different choices ... but only God knows what those choices would have brought about. The truth is, it’s by a gift of God—His grace—that we don’t know the future. I am learning that in the most painful ways. Not only is it useless to dwell on the “what ifs” and the thoughts of “if only I had done this differently,” but they don’t glorify God, either. This is my life, today. This is all I have to offer the Lord.
My life is an ash pile. Seeds of destruction were planted years ago, leading to the crux of my despair today. It has not only touched me, but the very hearts of my entire family, church, and the few close-knit friends in which we fellowshipped. And now, I find myself trying to find purpose, joy, and make sense out of my life. You see, after nearly 45 years of marriage, raising a family, and having several grandchildren, my husband was recently incarcerated and is now serving a 12-year sentence. This blindsided me. I never imagined such horror or shame. This certainly is not what I expected as I dreamed of my upcoming “golden years.” Yes, I truly know what it means to be broken—heart, soul, and body. My whole world has fallen apart, as this has penetrated every fiber of my being. This has affected every aspect of my life. Nothing is safe. Nothing’s been left untouched. Life will never be the same.
There is only one thing that will never fail or change for me—my hope, faith, my all is in Jesus Christ. I praise God for my firm foundation in Jesus Christ, my Lord. Through the endless days and nights of weeping, confusion, and betrayal, He is there. Through the sleeplessness, questions (many without answers), uncertainties of my future, He is there. Through the changes in me that I cannot even articulate, I know He is there. Even though I don’t understand and my heart feels ripped from my chest at times, He is there. His love is steadfast and sure.
As the old hymn asks, “Are you weary, are you heavyhearted? Tell it to Jesus.” He didn’t come just to bring salvation to our souls, He came to bring us joy and abundant life.
My life is an ash pile right now, but I know in my heart of hearts that beauty will emerge one day. My life may be shattered in a million pieces, but He is able to put it all back together more perfectly than before it was broken. Someday, through all this, we will stand as a “tree of righteousness” that the Lord planted so I, and my husband, may once again glorify the Lord.
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