BEAUTY OF THE ASHES
BISHOP DR. CLARENCE W. MCCLAIN
7/20/25
LCFM
Beauty of the Ashes: The Divine Exchange Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings
unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the
opening of the prison to them that are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the
day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (3) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of
heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might
be glorified.
He’s Coming For The Ashes, That Has Been Transformed For His GLORY.
Introduction: A God Who Transforms
Church, we gather today not just to be inspired, but to be reminded. Isaiah 61 is not a
poem—it is a prophetic proclamation. It is the Word of the Lord spoken centuries before
Christ, yet fulfilled in Jesus, the Anointed One.
Autumn teaches us something sacred. Trees release their leaves, which fall, crumble, and
decay. They are raked, burned, and forgotten—leaving behind ashes. But what the world
discards, God redeems . What seems useless to man becomes the raw material for a
miracle in God’s hands. God doesn’t toss away the ruined parts of our lives. He doesn’t
avoid the burned-out places, the sorrow, the shame, or the ruins. He gathers them. Isaiah
61:3 tells us of this divine exchange—a promise of transformation. Through the
redemptive power of Jesus, we trade our ashes for beauty, our mourning for joy, our
heaviness for praise.
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