What enchants my heart, time after time, is the possibility of radical transformation:
- A “spit upon” servant girl is the one the prince chooses as his bride in Cinderella.
- A gruesome beast becomes a dashing prince in Beauty and the Beast.
- “Bah humbug” Scrooge converts into a generous Santa Claus in A Christmas Carol.
A similar theme emerges in “Extreme Makeover”- type reality shows. I relish the finales when physically transformed “plain Janes” and “average Joes” step into the limelight looking fantastic and beaming confidence. Observing the dramatic differences between the before and after pictures brings tears to my eyes because it awakens the desire for lasting, positive change in my own life.
But then, reality sets in.
Fairy tales fade into never-never land in the midst of the daily grind. I would love to believe that the recipients of an intensive, six-week period of diet, exercise, and beauty treatments gallop off into a “happily ever after” sunrise. But changing the external does not profoundly change the internal. And what do I really want? A beauty that is not just skin deep, but starts on the inside and radiates outward.
And this is precisely what God offers.
The God of the universe is in the business of performing life makeovers on a scale that extends beyond wardrobes, make-up, hairdos, cosmetic dentistry, physical fitness, and plastic surgery. He changes from the inside out. His focus is on our heart because it is the wellspring of our life (Proverbs 4:23).
What incredible news: God can change our hearts!
Once heart change occurs, our thinking, words, behaviors, and lifestyle are altered. Biblical stories illustrate this “inside-out” transformation:
- The murderous terrorist, Saul of Tarsus, becomes God’s chosen vessel in the Apostle Paul who pens two-thirds of the New Testament Bible.
- The lowly shepherd boy David is the one with the courage to take down a nine-foot nine giant and becomes Israel’s most beloved king.
- A timid orphan is chosen to be queen Esther who risks death to save her people from annihilation.
Let me be clear. These changes are not merely tweaks or minor adjustments. They are 180- degree turns.
Divine Reversals are supernatural turnarounds that move us in the opposite and positive direction.
The transformation that God offers is so comprehensive in scope and depth that it brings about a reversal from evil to good (Genesis 50:20), old to new (Isaiah 43: 18-19), and darkness to light (Isaiah 42:16).
Isn’t this extraordinary?
This is the stuff of fairy tales. But it is real.
Yet, I have to admit that I so quickly lose sight of this marvelous truth. I become fixated on my current pain and forget God’s assurance that He can and will make all things work out for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). All things! Devastation. Ashes. Brokenness. Shame. Depression. Darkness.
Reflection:
Identify one area of your life where you need to be reminded that God specializes in turning curses into blessings, ashes into beauty, and brokenness into wholeness. Today, will you choose to let hope spring alive in that area?
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”
Jeremiah 32:27 NASV
