From Ashes To Victory

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:5-6 NIV)

At the graveside in most “committal services,” the pastor will invoke the following: “we commit this body to this sacred place awaiting the final resurrection from the dead, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust.” In a spiritual and theological sense, commitment is the foundation for Ash Wednesday worship. Ashes on the forehead to remind us of our frail humanity; Repentance and fasting to focus us on the victory of our Savior and Resurrected Lord.

This worship practice with ashes and dust is not to degrade our humanity, but to remind us of our need for a Savior. Indeed, the Psalmist wrote, “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!” (Psalm 8:4-5 NAS).

So, Ash Wednesday worship is not to belittle us. Rather, we are reminded that being a little lower than God, we are not God and still need God. All our efforts to be righteous and holy are like ashes blowing in the wind. We need a Savior who became ash for us that we could receive his righteousness and holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 2:17).

Ashes on the forehead, publically demonstrates our faith that we are dead in Christ awaiting the great and final day when we shall also be resurrected with him. In the spiritual sense, we are already resurrected in newness of life with Christ (Romans 6:3-5). Yet, after the ashes are washed off the forehead and the Easter season is a memory, are there still ashes on our souls?

Is Ash Wednesday worship merely an annual ritual or is it a daily spiritual reality 365 days of the year? It is important to live everyday with a repentant spirit and attitude. But we cannot live in the ashes. We live in the hope of victory!

I may still be ashes and dust but one day my corruptible ashes will be clothed in Christ’s incorruption. My mortal ashes will be clothed in his immortality. Then shall I shout with the saints of God, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:51-55 KJV).

Dear Father, thank you for the death burial and resurrection of your Son that give us the victory. Enable us to walk daily in a repentant spirit and attitude. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN

Be strong and courageous today from ashes to victory,