Isaiah 613b "...that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified."

The first part of this verse talks about those who mourn. The Lord says that unto them will be given beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. I am amazed at God's provision every time I read this verse. For those of us who have ever suffered loss, God promises to intervene. He promises to take our heartaches, our failures, our hurts..the "ashes" in our lives..and to create something beautiful in and through those deeply painful things. What an amazing God we have. How incredibly loving and caring He is. How deep is the love of God.
God promises something else in this verse. He promises to give us joy even in the most painful of trials.Joy to me is something that comes from the very deepest place in our soul. It is not something that can be worked up. It truly is the gift of God..even when we have suffered the most laborious of trials, there will be joy that will come into our life again. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh again in the morning..no matter what we have faced in the past, are facing now, or will face in the future. That simply says to me that God is with us. There would be no other way in which we could continue to hold out hope, if it were not for the supernatural hand of God in our lives.
God also gives us the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. A garment is something that you have to put on. When you go to your closet in the morning, you take whatever you are going to wear that day off the hanger, and you have to physically put it on. I think it is the same way with praise. It would be tempting to give in to the spirit of heaviness..but God is saying here that there is a way out..when you are feeling the weight of things in your life..begin to reflect back on all that God has brought you through..and simply begin to thank Him..Thank and praise Him that He has redeemed you..He is your Savior, your Guide, and your Comforter. Thank Him that when you fall, He lifts you. When you fail, He forgives. When you are weak, He is strong. When you are lost, He is the way. When you are afraid, He is your courage. When you are hurt, He heals you. When you are broken, He mends you. When you are hungry, He feeds you. When you face trials, He is with you. When you face persecution, He shields you. When you face loss, He provides..He is faithful.. You are His..and He is yours. Hallelujah!
"that you might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified"...Child of God, even as you mourn, your God is with you. As you face life's challenges, remember how your God sees you..as a tree of righteousness..UNBELIEVABLE! You have been planted by God that He might be glorified. Different trees bear different types of fruit..an orange tree produces oranges..a pear tree produces pears..you have been called by your God..a tree of righteousness. Today, ask Him to help you simply to remember how He sees you. I believe that you will not only be greatly encouraged, but that He will begin in you to produce much good fruit.