Ashes To Beauty – What Jesus Can Do –

What Jesus Can Do – Ashes to Beauty
From the heart of Pastor Calvin Cook
September 3, 2025

Life is brutal and hard and often leaves us standing in despair. It seems that many times the hope we once had that brought us joy is completely gone and all that remains is the ashes of disappointment, grief, and broken dreams. It seems in those times that what we lost is gone and gone forever. But there is a promise for us in the prophecies of Isaiah 61.

The opening of the chapter is a recognition of the powerful anointing that will come with the Messiah that the people of Israel will experience by trusting in the mighty God. This is for people who had always longed to experience God while they had left or betrayed God to the place where they need to be.

The words from Isaiah 61:3 speak to us today:

“……..to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

The words of Isaiah leave us when we trust in God, and relinquish our frustrations, pain, and misery to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we will see a complete turn around in our positions. When being fully devoted and all in we will see Jesus as the one who has given us hope in life and in the resurrection to new life. That where there were ashes, there will be beauty. Where there is mourning, He will pour out joy. That in the places we relinquish our unfaithfulness we will instead be filled with praise.

In the Gospel of Luke 4:16-21 Jesus takes over the pulpit in His hometown, opens the scroll, and reads from where? From Isaiah 61. In verse 21 Jesus says something that we need to take to heart today – the words “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

Here is what I am hearing today – When we feel our hope is gone, like maybe we have lost everything – Jesus wants to take those messes and turn them into something beautiful and good. Jesus wants to turn your testimony into “I once was lost, but now I am found – was blind but now I see.”

This not only applies to us personally, but our families, our businesses, our schools, our neighborhoods, our nation and all things that need us to stop being quitters through our negativity and lean in just a bit more as a follower of Jesus, allowing redemptive change to happen.

To my Brothers and Sisters in Churches thinking the best days are behind us as a church – stand up straight for Jesus, allow the Holy Spirit to work, stop allowing the past to dictate the past and the future and move into what Jesus is already doing – allow to happen!

Through this action we will become “oaks of righteousness”, the fulfillment of the promised covenant, and more rooted, steady, and flourishing as a testimony to God’s glory.

One last thing to remember – This transition is not for you, it is so others may see God’s glory through you. May we see the blessing and power in experiencing the overflow of God’s glory !