Practice the beautiful exchange

In the Bible, we find an interesting concept that comes with the grace and mercy of God. Through the cross of Christ, we not only find forgiveness for sins but also our sins and transgressions were taken by Christ, and in return, He gives us His holiness and sanctification. This "beautiful exchange" that happened on the cross is also reflected in Isaiah 61. Isaiah prophesies about the Messiah and writes in Isaiah 61:3, "to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendour."

This "beautiful exchange" can be practised daily by meditating on specific areas of our lives relevant to that moment and how God has taken the failure, disappointment, weakness, anxiety, etc., and instead given us courage, wisdom, a sound mind, and rest. In my prayer times, I take this practice a step further by visualizing what it now means when God has given me beauty for ashes. I apply it to an area of my life where I have recently felt ashes and despair and imagine the beauty of God in that situation and what it would look like practically. How would things be different and, most importantly, how would it affect my emotional state? Many of you might be saying, "this is wishful thinking, my issues are still there." To that, I would say, "Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the proof of what is not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). By meditating on the beautiful exchange, we activate our faith for the things hoped for.

It is interesting to me that we easily focus our attention and imagination on everything that could go wrong or is wrong in life. But we hesitate to focus our attention on what God has for us. I believe this is because we fear disappointment, "what if I take a chance on God and He does not come through?" That question can keep us from experiencing the fullness of the grace of God. To overcome this, we need to become convinced about God and who He says He is.

We need to become convinced about God and who He says He is.

This can only be done by consistently seeking God, not for something but to get to know Him. Paul writes about Abraham, stating that he was convinced that God would accomplish what He had promised (Romans 4:21). How was Abraham able to be convinced? The Bible gives us glimpses into his relationship with God. He responded to the call of God, he took time to hear from God, and he fully surrendered to God. Don’t get me wrong, Abraham had many faults and made many mistakes. But despite all his faults, his greatest asset was seeking God.

But despite all his faults, his greatest asset was seeking God.

Coach U

I want to challenge you today to practice the "beautiful exchange." Think about an area of your life where you want to see beauty for ashes. Visualize how you take your situation, 'ashes,' to the feet of God and then take up the 'beauty' that God has for you. An important tip is to visualize you leaving the ‘ashes’ behind at the feet of God.