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Sunday, August 09, 2009
Beauty For Ashes (II)
By Gabriel Agbo
WE'RE still talking about God turning our ashes into beauty. Nobody wants to be in a mess, but sometimes, you just find yourself in a deep one. Remember that the aim of this message is to assure you of God's deliverance from your present unpleasant and shameful situations. I promised, we would look into some of the Biblical accounts of people God turned their ashes into beauty. The scriptures say that there is nothing new about what you are currently going through, that others have gone through the same, and yet, remained faithful to the Almighty.
Job was a man that understood what it meant to be covered with ashes. Thus, his account has come to be a symbol of suffering. In fact, when you talk about terrible suffering, every mind goes quickly to the life of Job. This was a man, who was very rich and godly. He had much wealth, good testimonies from men and favour with God. To put it better, he was upright in his dealings both with God and men; he was faithful to his promises, steady in his counsels and true to every trust. In fact, the Bible recorded that even God called him a righteous man! What other testimony can beat this?
But all the above qualifications could not immune Job from the humiliating (ashes) experiences of life. Sometimes you begin to wonder why you should go through what you are presently going through. You feel you do not deserve what you are passing through. Maybe you were just making an honest effort to help or even lead a good life yourself, and all of a sudden, calamity struck. Throwing you into a very dark and painful situation. Whether by mistake or design, that landed you into your present predicament, God is still saying to you today, that He will be with you through that situation. He will rescue you and also honour you. There are no better promises than these. God is there with you even in that pain and sorrow. His mighty hands are already stretched to rescue you, and look at the glittering crown (honour) He kept for you, as you are coming out of that painful experience. Your present situation will bring honour to you and glory to God's name.
Job, though a righteous man, lost all he had at a stretch. He lost 500 yoke of oxen, 500 she-asses, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels and all his 10 children at a stretch. He subsequently was inflicted with terrible boils, all over his body. As if that was not enough, his (dear) wife betrayed him and his friends accused him of hypocrisy. All this happened to this just man at once. All his wealth, comfort, health, companion, hope, future just melted in his hands. The Bible described his condition, "Then Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, "are you still trying to maintain your integrity? curse God and die." Job 2:8, 9, 12 (NLT). I just hear you saying, "but my own has not reached that stage."
Job understood the rule of the game very well. He was prepared to wait until his change comes from God. He knew that he had a God of change. Though, he was sitting in ashes, having lost everything he had, though his condition had put him beyond recognition, though the future looked blank and hopeless, though groaning and scratching his sore infested body, though all his friends had left him. He was prepared to wait for his deliverance as long as the struggle lasts. The Psalmist says, "I will patiently and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Job continued to serve God in righteousness and holiness.
God is aware of what you are passing through right now. I know your case cannot be as bad as Job's, but even if it is, the same God that delivered and honoured Job will do the same for you. He turns ashes into beauty! I know you have incurred great loss; God is coming to replenish you. In fact, He said the later glory shall be greater than the former. Just wait on Him. Those that wait upon Him shall not be ashamed. The name of the winning game is waiting upon Him!
Now, let me quote directly from the Bible what the latter end of Job became, "So, the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now, he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land, there were no other women as lovely as the daughters of Job. Moreover, their father put them into his will along with their brothers. Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren, then he died, an old man, who had lived a long, good life. What a sweet end! God will do the same for you in Jesus' name - Amen. God bless you! Till next week.
Pastor Agbo is of the Assemblies of God Nigeria.
Tel: 08037113283, 08052433237
gabrielagbo.yahoo.com
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