Happy Sunday, friend!

It's time to dive into this week's Come Follow Me reading: Isaiah 58-66!​

Have you ever been inspired by the promise that the Lord will give “beauty for ashes”?

I certainly have! But I’ve never really considered what “ashes” means in this verse. What I discovered is awesome and you won’t want to miss it in this week’s Questions your kids might ask section!​

​Watch this week's video here!​

5 Key Themes What true fasting really is (Isaiah 58) Light comes from righteous living (Isaiah 58) The Savior heals and restores (Isaiah 61) God is shaping us (Isaiah 64) A peaceful future promised (Isaiah 65-66)

3 Key Scriptures ​Isaiah 58:6-7​ ​Isaiah 61:1​ ​Isaiah 64:8​ Dive into one or more of these verses all week long with my Verse Mapping Study Guide!

Questions your kids (or church class) might ask: What does “beauty for ashes” mean in Isaiah 61:3?

​Isaiah 61:3 contains beautiful imagery about the peace promised to God’s faithful children. One particular phrase is that there will “beauty for ashes.” Why would Isaiah use the word ashes there instead of something like, “destruction” or “death”?

In the Old Testament, ashes were a symbol of deep grief.

• Job sat in ashes after his entire family and livelihood were taken from him (Job 2:8)
• Mordecai put on sackcloth and ashes when a date was declared for the death of all the Jews in the Persian Empire (Esther 4:1)
• Jeremiah prescribed “wallowing” in ashes as a sign of mourning for the destruction of the Israelites (Jeremiah 6:26)

So, to the Old Testament people, ashes were a symbol of total destruction, deep mourning, and complete humility before God.

So this verse isn’t just about God making things a little better for His people. This is Him taking what has been totally destroyed (burnt down to ashes) and making it beautiful again.

This week's conversation starter:

Read Isaiah 58:6-7 with your teen and then ask: What do you think is the difference between someone who is like “moldable clay” or like “hard clay” for God to work with?

Want to go deeper in your personal study this week? My Verse Mapping for Beginners PDF walks you through exactly how. Get it here!​

Missed previous weeks? You can check out past Weekly Scripture Starter emails here!

Don't forget to check out the PS section below!

You are awesome!

P.S. My wonderful friend John Hilton III read Simon Spots the Spirit and said this about it: “Simon Spots the Spirit offers families a warm and engaging way to begin conversations about recognizing the Spirit in everyday life. Its relatable story and inviting illustrations can provide a springboard for important conversations between children and parents.” Truly you don’t want to miss this book–there are only 2,000 copies available–so get on the waitlist!​