Ashes. Ashes and dust. A reminder.
By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground from which you were made.
For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.”
Genesis 3:19 New Living Translation
Ashes and dust. Messy. They symbolize the messy emotions of grief and repentance.
I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” Job 42:6 NLT
Ashes and dust. Things of great weakness. Yet His little dust and bone people are precious to the Creator.
The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Psalm 103:13-14 NLT
Dear God,
In this season of Lent, we’re reminded of our own difficulties and struggles.
Sometimes the way has seemed too dark.
Sometimes we feel like our lives have been marked by such grief and pain,
we don’t see how our circumstances can ever change.
But in the midst of our weakness, we ask that You would be strong on our behalf.
Lord, rise up within us, let Your Spirit shine out of every broken place we’ve walked through.
Allow Your power to be manifest through our own weakness,
so that others will recognize it is You who is at work on our behalf.
We ask that You would trade the ashes of our lives for the beauty of Your Presence.
Trade our mourning and grief for the oil of joy and gladness from Your Spirit.
Trade our despair for hope and praise. [Isaiah 63:1]
We choose to give You thanks today and believe that this season of darkness will fade away.
Thank You that You are with us in whatever we face, and that You are greater than this trial.
We know and recognize that You are Sovereign,
we thank You for the victory that is ours because of Christ Jesus,
and we are confident that You have good still in store for our future.
We thank You that You are at work right now, trading our ashes for greater beauty.
We praise You, for You make all things new.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
(Debbie McDaniel)
