HOLDING ON TO GOD’S PROMISES
Whether you’re in the early stages of grief, when the pain feels overwhelming, in the later stages, when hope is beginning to rise, or perhaps you haven’t yet experienced deep sorrow, this message is for you.
Eventually, every one of us will find ourselves holding ashes of some kind. We will face disappointment, loss, heartbreak, betrayal, shattered dreams, sickness, or grief. And when those moments come, we need to carry God’s promise of beauty in our hearts.
Scripture is filled with promises that anchor us during life’s storms and give us something to hold onto when circumstances threaten to pull us under. God’s promises are not empty words or wishful thinking. They are dependable because they come from a faithful God.
Numbers 23:19 promises us that God cannot lie: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it?”
What God promises, He fulfills. What He speaks, He brings to pass.
One of the most beautiful promises in all of Scripture is found in Isaiah 61:3: “He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning.” (NLT)
We’ve all seen ashes. They are the remains of something that once burned brightly. Ashes represent what is left after loss, destruction, disappointment, or death. Whether from a fireplace, a bonfire, or even the cremated remains of a beloved pet or family member, ashes symbolize something precious that is no longer here.
Now imagine exchanging those ashes for something beautiful.
That is exactly what this Scripture describes, a divine exchange.
The Process
Let’s pause for a moment and recognize something important: the exchange does not usually happen immediately.
Most of us would prefer instant healing, immediate answers, and quick restoration. We want beauty now. Yet God often works through a process. There is usually a season between the ashes and the beauty.
So what do we do in the meantime?
We trust.
We worship.
We keep moving forward one step at a time.
One of the most powerful things we can do during seasons of loss is worship. If you find yourself surrounded by ashes, walking through a wilderness season, God can use that season to do His deepest work in your heart. His love draws us closer when everything else feels uncertain.
Worship strengthens our trust. It lifts our eyes above our circumstances and fixes them on the One who never changes. It reminds us that God is still good, even when life is hard. Worship doesn’t erase our pain, but it gives us strength to carry it.
When we worship, our focus shifts from what we’ve lost to the One who remains faithful.
One of my mentors used to say, “Every time you’re wounded, bleed worship.”
All Kinds of Ashes
Many of you have sat beside a loved one and watched them take their final breath. Few pains in life are deeper than that. The silence that follows can feel almost unbearable.
When my mother passed it was indeed one of the most difficult experiences of my life, however it was also one of the most sacred.
Luke 16:22 tells us that when Lazarus died, the angels of God came and escorted his spirit into paradise.
Wow! That’s incredible. And there we were, in the midst of a holy moment between earth and eternity.
Without God’s promises, grief can become paralyzing.
There are many kinds of ashes.
Maybe yours came from betrayal. Someone you trusted deeply wounded you.
Perhaps you’ve experienced rejection, abandonment, manipulation, mistreatment, or abuse.
Or maybe your ashes come from a dream that never materialized, a child who wandered away, a financial loss, or a diagnosis you never expected.
Whatever form your ashes take, God sees them.
He is not intimidated by your pain.
He is not offended by your questions.
He is not absent from your sorrow.
A Time to Grieve
Scripture never teaches us to ignore our pain.
There is a time for mourning.
There is a time for tears.
There is a time for bringing our questions to God when there don’t seem to be answers.
Psalm 34:18 tells us: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (NIV)
Notice that God does not run from those sitting in ashes. He draws near to them.
Healing begins when we acknowledge what hurts instead of pretending we’re fine. God invites us to bring our sorrow, disappointment, pain, and loss to Him exactly as they are.
You don’t have to clean up your ashes before coming to God.
Letting Go
God invites us to acknowledge our sorrow, pain, and loss and then surrender them to Him.
This is where many people struggle.
We want the beauty, but we hold too tightly to the ashes.
We replay old conversations.
We revisit old wounds.
We cling to resentment, bitterness, regret, and fear.
Yet in order to receive what God wants to place in our hands, we often have to release what we’re already holding.
That doesn’t mean forgetting.
It doesn’t mean pretending the hurt never happened.
It means trusting God enough to place the ashes in His hands.
The exchange happens when surrender meets faith.
Different Than We Expected
One reason people miss God’s beauty is because they expect Him to restore everything exactly as it was before.
Sometimes He does.
But often, God’s beauty comes in a different form.
The beauty may be deeper compassion.
The beauty may be wisdom gained only through suffering.
The beauty may be stronger faith.
The beauty may be new relationships, new opportunities, or a new purpose born out of old pain.
Some of the most compassionate people you’ll ever meet are those who have walked through profound grief. Some of the strongest believers are those who have endured tremendous loss.
God has a remarkable way of transforming wounds into sources of healing for others.
The very thing that tried to destroy you can become the testimony that helps someone else survive.
Looking Forward With Hope
One of the enemy’s greatest strategies is convincing us that the ashes are all there will ever be.
But that is not God’s way.
God is always writing a future beyond the pain.
Your current chapter is not your final chapter.
There is still joy ahead.
There is still beauty ahead.
Romans 8:28 reminds us: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (NIV)
Notice that Scripture does not say all things are good.
Some things are heartbreaking.
Some things should never have happened.
But God is able to work even through the most painful circumstances and bring something beautiful from them.
That is what redemption looks like.
The Promise Still Stands
If you are walking through a season of ashes today, don’t lose heart.
The pain you’re feeling is real, but it is not permanent.
The loss is real, but God is still at work.
Hold tightly to His promises when your emotions are wavering. Trust Him when you cannot yet see what He is doing. Continue to worship when answers are delayed. Continue to believe when hope feels fragile.
The God who promised beauty for ashes has not forgotten you.
He knows every wound.
He understands every disappointment.
And at the right time, in His perfect way, He will bring beauty from what feels broken today.
Until then, keep trusting.
Keep worshiping.
Keep hoping.
Because the promise still stands:
Beauty for ashes.
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