Beauty For Ashes

There is hope in your heartache.
 
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Romans 8:28 NLT
 
"God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children."
Jerry Bridges
 

 
On April 6, 1979, 16-year-old Dallas Lutzer was travelling with his teenage friends to a church youth event in Brandon, Manitoba, when the vehicle he was in collided with another, resulting in his tragic death. Dallas’ death was a devastating loss for his parents, Albert and Jean Lutzer. From the ashes of their loss, the Lutzers gifted the Canadian Sunday School Mission 150 acres of their recreational land in the Lumsden Valley (Saskatchewan) to create a Christian camp in Dallas’ honour. The Lutzers wanted the camp to proclaim the gospel to children, young people, and adults. Today, Dallas Valley Ranch Camp hosts 2000+ campers each year, all of whom hear the gospel. Out of the Lutzer’s loss and mourning came the salvation of many souls at the camp they started in Dallas’ honour. This is indeed a story that reflects the essence of what the Bible calls “beauty for ashes.”
 
The biblical phrase “beauty for ashes” comes from Isaiah 61:3 and powerfully illustrates God’s work of restoration and redemption: “To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.” In biblical times, ashes symbolized grief, loss, repentance, and suffering. When Isaiah declares that God will bring about “a crown of beauty for ashes.” At its root, the Hebrew text refers to a floral headdress. As such, Isaiah declares that this garland of flowers (beauty) will replace the covering of ashes, associated with deep mourning and loss.
 
Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised to replace sorrow with beauty, joy, and praise. The phrase reveals God’s character as one who does not abandon His people in their pain but transforms hardship into blessing. Though believers may experience trials and heartache, God can bring purpose from suffering and hope from despair. “Beauty for ashes” reminds Christians that God can redeem broken circumstances and bring glory from life’s deepest wounds.
 
About 1100 years before the birth of Christ, in a turbulent period when judges ruled the land of Israel and before the epoch of King David and King Solomon, there was an Ephrathite woman from Bethlehem named Naomi. Her husband was Elimelek and together they parented their sons Mahlon and Kilion. Because of a famine in the land, Naomi’s family moved to Moab. Sadly, Elimelek died. Mahlon and Kilion married Orpah and Ruth respectively. Tragedy again struck and both Mahlon and Kilion died. All the deaths of her beloveds took place in a span of ten years. Naomi grieved her loss, lamenting that the Lord had made her life bitter: “The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me” (Ruth 1:21).

Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem because she could no longer live in Moad, the land that had for her become a place of ashes and mourning. She met with Orpah and Ruth, encouraging them to return to the homes of their family and restart their lives. Orpah returned home but Ruth stayed with Naomi. Both traveled back to Bethlehem.

Ruth began gleaning the fields around Bethlehem to sustain her and Naomi. To make a long story short, Ruth ended up gleaning in the field of a family guardian-redeemer. A guardian-redeemer (or kinsmen-redeemer) was a close relative who had both the right and the responsibility to protect the welfare of a family member in need. The guardian-redeemer functioned as a family advocate, ensuring that a family's inheritance, name, and future were preserved according to God's covenant laws. Boaz was Naomi’s guardian-redeemer. Boaz married Ruth and provided for Naomi at the same time. Ruth gave birth to Obed, the grandfather to King David. “Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him” (Ruth 4:16).
 
From a place of ashes, deep grief and mourning because of the deaths of Elimelek, Mahlon and Kilion, because of the loss of her security, provision and future family, and because of her bruised relationship with God (doubting his goodness), Naomi experienced beauty in the provision of Boaz and in the birth of Obed. More than that, Naomi would be forever remember was part of the story of King David and the future Messiah. From the beginning, God planned to exchange her ashes with a crown of beauty.
 
Are you in a place of ‘ashes’? Are you in a season of loss, grieving, and heartache? Stay in faith that God not only sees you and knows your adversity, but he also desires to bring about good from your pain, and exchange your ‘ashes’ with a crown of beauty. Live expecting that your mourning will one day turn into rejoicing.

 
“Of one thing I am perfectly sure:
God’s story never ends with ‘ashes’.”
Elisabeth Elliot

Rev. Philip A. Gunther