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BEAUTY FOR ASHES

Scripture Verse

The Lord hath anointed me…to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. Isaiah 61:1–3

Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: John G. Crabbe, 1889 (🔊 ).

portrait
John G. Crabbe (1865–1924)

Lyrics

illustration
Jesus Unrolls the Book
in the Synagogue
James Tissot (1836–1902)

I sing the love of God, my Fa­ther,
Whose Spir­it abides with­in,
Who chang­es all my grief to glad­ness,
And par­dons me all my sin.
Though clouds may lo­wer, dark and drea­ry,
Yet He has pro­mised to be near;
He gives me sun­shine for my sha­dow,
And beau­ty for ash­es here.

Refrain

He gives me joy in place of sor­row;
He gives me love that casts out fear;
He gives me sun­shine for my sha­dow,
And beauty for ash­es here.

I sing the love of God, my Sav­ior,
Who suf­fered upon the tree,
That, in the sec­ret of His pre­sence,
My bond­age might free­dom be.
He comes to bind the brok­en­heart­ed;
He comes the faint­ing soul to cheer;
He gives me oil of joy for mourn­ing,
And beau­ty for ash­es here.

Refrain

I sing the beau­ty of the Gos­pel
That scat­ters, not thorns, but flow­ers,
That bids me scat­ter smiles and sun­beams
Wherever are lone­ly hours.
The gar­ment of His praise it of­fers
For hea­vi­ness of spir­it drear;
It gives me sun­shine for my sha­dow,
And beau­ty for ash­es here.

Refrain