Prayerful interlude

By Elizabeth Prata

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18).

The wrath is already revealed, and they know it but suppress it. They can suppress the truth all day long, all a lifetime long, deceiving themselves that they have successfully avoided God, and thus, their judgment...but ultimately, when they are confronted with the Holy God, they will hide.

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)

Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. (Revelation 6:15)

There will come a day that no one will be able to hide.

Judgment Before the Great White Throne

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

I often think about my life before salvation. Half my life will have been lived in rebellion to God (if I live to age 84, that is.)

I suppressed the truth, I rebelled, I was self-satisfied, I mocked God. Yet, before I was born, He had set me apart to become His trophy of Grace at the appointed year, day, moment, to glorify Him, redeemed and clean. (cf Galatians 1:15).

In the Garden He opened their eyes to see their own sin. (Genesis 3:7). Yet that opening plunged them into spiritual darkness, never again to see the glory of their Creator with wide-open eyes. At salvation He opens eyes, (Acts 9:18; Ephesians 1:18) to see Him in His glorious light, to know and understand spiritual things.

When He spoke to Adam and Eve after their rebellion, when He spoke to Noah, Abram, Moses...how is it that they did not just shatter into a billion dust motes, scattering across the four compass points like chaff? He is powerful, majestic, yet intimate.

My prayer today Lord is
for you to forgive

     my critical mind
     my craven heart

     my lazy bones

Overlook my childish attempts to glorify you

Pardon my sins

perfidies

disobedience

Wash me in your love

clean my by your forgiveness

provide for me your comfort

send to me your angels

sanctify my prayers.

And He will, for I was plucked out of the darkness to dwell in His Light, eyes wide open, loving Him.

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19).