Only He Could Do It
To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
-Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
-Psalm 30:11-12 (ESV)
-Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
-Psalm 30:11-12 (ESV)
__________________________
Some things, only God can do. He meets us in our greatest needs and brings beauty from ashes, turns our mourning into dancing, and gives us the ability to give thanks in the midst of terrible grief and pain. When we turn to him in those moments, He always comes through for us. I think that’s why he expects us to do the same. He needs us to step up when it’s our time as well.
Historian Ken Hughes once wrote of President Richard Nixon, “As America’s foremost anti-Communist politician of the Cold War, Nixon was in a unique position to launch a diplomatic opening to China, leading to the birth of a new political maxim: ‘Only Nixon could go to China.’”
I’ll leave the debate of whether or not President Nixon will be remembered as a good president for a different time and place. Regardless of what people think of him, He did something that only he could have done given his reputation and position of leadership. When he opened the door to visit China, anyone else would have been perceived as weak or compromising. The bottom line is, he did what only he could do.
We see this all throughout scripture in the stories of Abraham, Rahab, David, Esther, Ananias (the one from Acts 9), and Paul. These men and women acted with courage in moments when God asked them specifically to step up and into His calling.
What about you? Who can you reach for Jesus that no one else could? Are you ready to be courageous in your calling?
Historian Ken Hughes once wrote of President Richard Nixon, “As America’s foremost anti-Communist politician of the Cold War, Nixon was in a unique position to launch a diplomatic opening to China, leading to the birth of a new political maxim: ‘Only Nixon could go to China.’”
I’ll leave the debate of whether or not President Nixon will be remembered as a good president for a different time and place. Regardless of what people think of him, He did something that only he could have done given his reputation and position of leadership. When he opened the door to visit China, anyone else would have been perceived as weak or compromising. The bottom line is, he did what only he could do.
We see this all throughout scripture in the stories of Abraham, Rahab, David, Esther, Ananias (the one from Acts 9), and Paul. These men and women acted with courage in moments when God asked them specifically to step up and into His calling.
What about you? Who can you reach for Jesus that no one else could? Are you ready to be courageous in your calling?
__________________________
Hughes, Ken. “Nixon on China.” Miller Center, University of Virginia, millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/nixon-china. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.
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