Oil of Joy
“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.”
Eli sat on the back steps of his house, staring at the blackened patch of grass near the fence.
A week earlier, he had burned his old notebooks and sketch papers there. He had been angry—angry at failing his math test, angry at arguing with his best friend, angry that his prayers didn’t seem to be answered. In a rush of frustration, he had tossed the papers into a metal bin and lit them on fire.
Now all that was left was a circle of ashes.
He felt the same way inside—like something had burned down and left nothing but gray dust.
At church the next Sunday, Eli barely sang. His chest felt heavy. When the pastor read Isaiah 61:3 about “beauty for ashes” and “
No moral points provided.
No reflection questions provided.