Life Principle 16

Whatever You Acquire Outside God’s Will Will Eventually Turn into Ashes

The Principle of Ashes
Because You Rejoiced with Disdain (Ezekiel 25:6-7)
A Personal Reflection: Concerts and Beauty for Ashes
The Reproach of Moab and Ammon (Zephaniah 2:8)
Judgment on the Ammonites (Ezekiel 21:28-32)
Judgment Came upon Judah (2 Kings 24:1-4)
Prophecy Against Ammon (Ezekiel 25:1-7)
The Ammonites Could Have Honored God (Deuteronomy 2:19)
Building That Endures or Burns (1 Corinthians 3:9-15)
What Must Be on Your Mind as You Go About the Day
Chasing What Is Outside God’s Will
Delight Yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)
Application: Seek Only What Is Within His Will

Beloved friend, anything you gain apart from the will of God is temporary at best and destructive at worst. Life Principle 16 warns that whatever you acquire outside God’s will will eventually turn into ashes. It may look like success for a season, but the fire of God’s judgment and the test of time will reduce it to nothing. Let us open the Scriptures and learn.

The Principle of Ashes

God is not opposed to blessing. He is opposed to blessing that is sought outside His will. What He does not plant, He will not preserve. What is built on self-will rather than His will will not survive the fire.

Because You Rejoiced with Disdain (Ezekiel 25:6-7)

Ezekiel 25:6-7 (NKJV)
6 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel,
7 indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”’

Ammon clapped, stamped, and rejoiced over Israel’s downfall. What they thought they gained by their disdain became the very reason God stretched out His hand against them. Their acquisition turned to ashes.

A Personal Reflection: Concerts and Beauty for Ashes

For me, I originally started going to concerts thinking I would gather friends to go. That dream never came true. It was not God’s will for me in that sense. However, God will trade beauty for ashes, and I’ve had some amazing times with my mom. What I thought I wanted outside His will never materialized; what He gave within His will became lasting joy.

The Reproach of Moab and Ammon (Zephaniah 2:8)

Zephaniah 2:8 (NKJV)
“I have heard the reproach of Moab,
And the insults of the people of Ammon,
With which they have reproached My people,
And made arrogant threats against their borders.”

God heard their insults and arrogant threats. What they acquired through pride and aggression against His people would not stand.

Judgment on the Ammonites (Ezekiel 21:28-32)

Ezekiel 21:28-32 (NKJV)
28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach,’ and say:
‘A sword, a sword is drawn,
Polished for slaughter,
For consuming, for flashing—
29 While they see false visions for you,
While they divine a lie to you,
To bring you on the necks of the wicked, the slain
Whose day has come,
Whose iniquity shall end.
30 ‘Return it to its sheath.
I will judge you
In the place where you were created,
In the land of your nativity.
31 I will pour out My indignation on you;
I will blow against you with the fire of My wrath,
And deliver you into the hands of brutal men who are skillful to destroy.
32 You shall be fuel for the fire;
Your blood shall be in the midst of the land.
You shall not be remembered,
For I the Lord have spoken.’”

They would become fuel for the fire. Their blood would be in the midst of the land. They would not be remembered. What they acquired outside God’s will turned to ashes.

Judgment Came upon Judah (2 Kings 24:1-4)

2 Kings 24:1-4 (NKJV)
1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.
2 And the Lord sent against him raiding bands of Chaldeans, bands of Syrians, bands of Moabites, and bands of the people of Ammon; He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servants the prophets.
3 Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done,
4 and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.

Even Judah experienced the principle. What was built outside God’s will—through the sins of Manasseh and the shedding of innocent blood—was removed. God sent bands to destroy it.

Prophecy Against Ammon (Ezekiel 25:1-7)

Ezekiel 25:1-7 (NKJV)
1 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them.
3 Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,
4 indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.
5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.”
6 ‘For thus says the Lord God: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel,
7 indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”’

What Ammon acquired by mocking God’s people became the reason they themselves were given as plunder.

The Ammonites Could Have Honored God (Deuteronomy 2:19)

Deuteronomy 2:19 (NKJV)
And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.

The Ammonites could have learned to honor God. Israel was forbidden to take their land. But they were more interested in getting the land than knowing God, and eventually they became nothing. What they pursued outside God’s will turned to ashes.

Building That Endures or Burns (1 Corinthians 3:9-15)

1 Corinthians 3:9-15 (NKJV)
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

What must you have your mind on as you go about the day? The foundation of Jesus Christ. What are your motivations for doing work? Building with gold, silver, and precious stones—what is done in obedience to His will—or with wood, hay, and straw—what is done for self? What type of work will endure and what will be burnt up? The fire will test it. Only what is built according to God’s will survives.

Chasing What Is Outside God’s Will

We all typically love wealth, acceptance, stability, and prominence. But if you chase what is not in God’s will, you will eventually find it disappointing and empty. You will also find that you are not able to defend it or keep it. It turns to ashes.

Delight Yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4)

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

When your delight is in the Lord, He Himself becomes the desire of your heart, and He gives you what is truly good. What is acquired within His will does not turn to ashes.

Application: Seek Only What Is Within His Will

Friend, examine what you are pursuing. Is it within God’s will? If not, it will eventually turn to ashes. Build on the foundation of Jesus Christ with materials that endure. Delight yourself in the Lord. Let Him give you the desires of your heart. Whatever you acquire outside His will will burn; whatever you receive within His will will remain and bring glory to Him.

Amen.