faith unfaded

We Are Messengers released a song right about the same time that I began sharing a similar message. God had made beauty from the ashes of my life.

In God Be The Glory they sing of trading what they have for what God has promised to all who believe in Him:

I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory
To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story
To God be the glory

Every time I hear this song, I get this picture of an old pricing game played during the Barker era of The Price is Right: Poker Game.

The object of Poker Game was to create a better poker hand than the house by choosing two of four prizes. The prices became your hand (a prize worth $880 and another worth $685 would give the contestant 3 8’s). The player would then have to decide whether to keep that hand or trade it for the price of the other two prizes. If they traded and the next set of prizes yielded four of a kind or 3 9’s or a full house, they would win. It’s a decision you have to make without knowing what you are trading for.

But with God, you know what you’re swapping out. So I always picture these things in the “Player” hand to start with: ashes, mourning, weakness, pain….

But there’s zero deliberation because you know what you are trading it for. Why even think for one minute about keeping this hand?! Send it to the HOUSE! Your new hand is beauty, joy, strength, healing…

I love this song as much as I love watching old TPIR shows on Amazon Prime. But they don’t compare to how much I love the promises of God.

Believe them! He will turn every bad hand you’ve ever been dealt and let you trade up for a better one. All you have to do is give it all to Him.