Waiting For The Crush

Praying Through Romans 16:20 by Scotty Smith:

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Dear heavenly Father, we praise, bless, and adore you for being the God of peace—the God who created a world in which all things were right, and the Redeemer who has committed to put all things right, once again. The peace that pervasively filled our first home—the Garden of Eden, one Day will inviolately permeate our eternal home—the new heaven and new earth. Hallelujah, that Day cannot arrive too soon!

Father, though our world (and country) increasingly repudiates your name and marginalizes your will—you reign, you rule, you rejoice. The nations conspire, and you laugh (Psalm 2). Maniacal men are no match for a merciful God. Though evil seems to be winning, by the work of Jesus, you have secured evil’s defeat and ultimate eradication. Jesus’ crushing on the cross (Isa. 53:10) was the crushing blow to the kingdom of darkness.

How then are we to live? Pensive and passive, worried and withdrawn, agitated and angry, as we wait for the Day of all things new? No, 10,000 times no! You bid us live well and love well, to your glory, confident of this good news: Satan will soon be crushed under our feet. Everywhere we place our feet will, one Day, be filled with the knowledge of your glory. Our labors in the Lord will never be in vain. Our loving for the Lord will never return void.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Therefore, Father, fill us with the grace of Jesus; transform us by the grace of Jesus; liberate us through the grace of Jesus; empower us with the grace of Jesus. May we be the best neighbors and workers, friends and servants in our communities—whether it brings praise or persecution, merriment or martyrdom, cheers or tears. So very Amen we pray, in the hope-laden, grace-full name of Jesus.