Cinderella, The Father Is About To Give You Beauty For Ashes!

by Carlnika Hooks October 3, 2020

In worship I had a vision of me coming out of this dark tunnel into light. I seen myself emerging from underground just as a plant would that had been planted in seed form months prior. I then seen myself coming out of the trenches and the filthy clothes that I was wearing broke off me in a way that chains would. Underneath the rags were a brand new pair of clean clothes. The Lord spoke these words to me. "I'm about to give you beauty for your ashes". In that moment everything that I was carrying broke off of me and I could now see the glorious future that awaits me. My glorious future has become my glorious now.

In 2019, I remember telling the Father I felt like Cinderella. I felt like the Cinderella in the basement, and not the one at the ball or after the glass slipper was placed on her foot. I felt isolated, forgotten, rejected, and misused. I felt like I was serving the wicked stepmother in real awakening life who was trying to keep me from going to the ball. No exaggeration there. I remember feeling like I wanted to quit. It almost felt unbearable at times.

Some of you may know exactly what I'm talking about. You may be facing your very own wicked stepmother in some way. That person or situation that is trying to keep you from walking into a new season, a new you, or a new life. I have good news for you. The Father is about to give you beauty for ashes.

The name Cinderella means little ashes, and the word cinderella means a person or thing that is undeservedly neglected or ignored.

Isaiah 61:3 NKJV says, "To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness: that may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. 

I love the ending of this scripture. THAT HE MAY BE GLORIFIED!

I know many like to blame the devil for our most difficult seasons, but we must learn to discern the season we are in. This last season of my life was one of the most challenging seasons and it was not from the enemy. It was from the Lord. It's crucial you know the difference, because this puts you in a place for growth and preparation, or a place where you'll retreat and run back. Knowing the Father sent you into the fire should also ring an alarm in you that He's with you in the fire, and is going to bring you out of the fire.

In Matthew 4:1 the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by satan. There Jesus came under one attack after the other. Satan did everything in his power to tempt Jesus into serving him while Jesus was at His weakest state. Jesus didn't back down. Jesus fought back with the WORD! Jesus knew who He was and who His Father is, so not even at one of His weakest moments did He cave into the temptation of satan. 

Luke 4:1 says,"Jesus full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness". When Jesus went into the wilderness He was full of the Holy Spirit which gave Him the ability to overcome, but check out what Luke 4:14 says. "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside"! 

Did you catch that Jesus went in the wilderness FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, but came out IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?! There is a huge difference there. He came out with what He didn't have before He went in. POWER!!! The Father sent Him into the wilderness to test and prepare Him for His ministry. Without the time in the wilderness He would not have been able to operate in His ministry the way that He did without the POWER of the Holy Spirit. 

This brings me back to Isaiah 61:3. My favorite part being God will be glorified. News spread all over concerning Jesus and His ministry after the wilderness. God was glorified in that, but He was also glorified through Moses. The Lord allowed the heat to be turned up during the process of going before Pharaoh. As a matter of fact, He was the One who hardened Pharaoh's heart against the Israelites. The Father harden Pharaoh's heart so what can happen? "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I Am The LORD." Exodus 14:4 

Sometimes the Father would hardened the hearts of the people around you. He will allow them to treat you like the bottom of their shoe. Just so His glory can be manifested right before their very eyes.

THE FATHER IS ABOUT TO SHOW EVERYBODY WHO HE IS THROUGH YOU!!

Your last season was not for nothing! You just came out of your last season with something you did not have before you went it! POWER! Power to defeat the enemy in every area of your life. Some people may not want to see the new you, because the new you is a fire carrying, Holy Ghost wrecking ball! Wrecking the camp of the enemy!

The amazing part about this new season is you want have to do it in lack of anything. The Father is about to bestow His favor upon you in a precedented way! Get ready because THE FATHER IS GIVING YOU BEAUTY FOR ASHES!!!