Can you believe that 2020 is already over? Just one more full month then…poof! It’s gone.
I was reading about the Phoenix bird; I am sure we have all heard the phrase or have heard it used in metaphors.
The Phoenix bird comes from Greek mythology, it was a feathered creature of great size with talons and wings, its plumage radiant and beautiful. The phoenix lived for 500 years before it built its own funeral pyre, burst into flame, and died, consumed in its own fiery inferno. Soon after, the mythical creature rose out of the ashes, in a transformation from death to life. This story of becoming born again predates the story of the phoenix rising from the ashes.
We use the phrase “Phoenix rising from the ashes” as life reborn anew and transformed.
I would like to think of my life like I am a phoenix; there was a time of my life when I had no hope, I had blocked Jesus out, I had resentment, held on to the hurts of my past and poured it out into my marriage...damaged it; I was also sick physically, my eyes had no life in them, no glow…I was empty. BUT GOD...
When He saved my life and poured hope back into it, I felt I had risen from the ashes; I came back to life and I finally realized my purpose, ready to fight a whole, healed, changed woman.
I know that all of you have gone through storms in your life, maybe even just this year alone you have faced hardships; we can probably sit together all night talking about what a doozy 2020 has been.
So, how do you feel you have come out of your storms? Are you still building your funeral pyre? Or have you risen out of the fire, transformed?
I’m reminded of Isaiah 61:3…”To give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
This verse isn’t necessarily the same as rising from ashes but ashes to me represent mourning, they seem to me something like death; during biblical times it was customary for people to sit in ashes and cover themselves to express mourning.
Isaiah was sent to remind God’s people that their sin had caused them to live in suffering; on the other hand he also wanted to remind them of God’s mercy, His anger does not last and He had blessing in store for them, verse 3 were words of comfort for them.
Let’s go back when I read about the phoenix it was said it built its own funeral pyre; the word pyre means a heap of combustible material, especially one for burning a corpse as part of a funeral ceremony. Sounds like a cremation of sorts.
Then the phoenix burst into flame, and dies, consumed in its own fiery inferno. Then rises from it’s ashes a new beautiful bird, majestic and mighty.
God wants to replace our death ashes for beauty, our tore up stories of pain and sadness for praise!
He wants us to raise our situations as beautiful!
Rise brother and sister rise from the ashes! I pray that the rest of 2020 end with beauty for you and for me too!
Until next time I’m praying for you and Jesus loves you so much!
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