The Beauty of Becoming

Isaiah 3 speaks of the upcoming destruction of Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah prophesies that men will lose their strength and women will lose their beauty (v2-7, 16-26). Not only will they lose these things that are intrinsic desires, but the Lord will “take away” these things (v1). God intends to keep from them great strength to lead Israel which brings the nation to ruins, lacking beauty. Yet, why would a perfectly good and perfectly just God desire to do this?

Israel had abandoned the Lord. They sought their own ways. They chose their own leaders and their own standards of beauty- they found a new identity. They placed their value in this new identity of being strong and being beautiful by worldly standards. So God took away their idols and left them exposed to their lack of identity.

Who am I without ______? Who am I without beauty? Who am I without strength? Who am I without adventure? Who am I without control? Who am I without the job or title?

Where is my identity found?

I often unconsciously find my identity in the lies of Satan. I believe the “If only” statements that keep me working to be worthy of love and praise. If only I was healthier… If only I was more social… If only I worked harder… If only I still had them in my life… Then I would feel fulfilled.

Sometimes the Lord takes away the things we love most. In the past 2 years, God has taken away my mom, my independence, and my freedom to adventure. They have all revealed the cracks in my own heart. They were the idols that I sought to be filled with, just like the Israelites. I wanted such things to give me an identity- to make me happy, to be loved, seen, and known. I deeply yearn to be a daughter because I have believed the devil telling me that I am an orphan. I deeply yearn to have independence because I have believed I am better off on my own strength. I deeply yearn for adventure because I have believed it would bring me joy. Without these things, who would I be?

Without _______, who would you be?

I am better for the things the Lord has “taken away” from me. The Israelites were too. A desire for beauty, strength, and adventure (ext.) in itself is not bad, yet when the Lord chooses to take such things away it is often to expose the desires of our hearts. I know deeper than I ever had what it means to be a daughter of the Lord because of the loss of being my mother’s daughter here on this earth (John 14:18).

When you are in a season of takeaway, remember friend, it is not the end of the story! It does not end in heartbreak or with an identity that is lacking. Seek the Lord's face, He knows what you desire and wants to bring provision. He wants to show you your true identity. The Israelites had hope in redemption too. Just as devastating as Isaiah 3 is (for the exposing of their hearts), even greater is the hope seen in the short chapter of Isaiah 4.

Isaiah 4:2-6

In that day the branch of the Lord [the Messiah] shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel.

And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem,

when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.

Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy.

There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

My time this year has been one of “taking away” by the Lord. This season of pruning just felt too intimate to share on my blog and is still in the works. The Lord's provision shines though just as provided what He promised in Isaiah 4. I have grown deeper in my understanding of myself, my relationships, and my future. As well, I have been able to serve the women in Microfinance in an unstable time as both women I work with undergo giant changes in their life. It has been such a difficult, messy, beautiful year. And the best part is living this life for the Lord as I learn the beauty of becoming who the Lord created me to be.