Today, we are going to wrap up this series of prophetic words and understanding. For those of you reading ‘The Crucible of His Love,’ we ended Part 2 looking at David’s prayer out of Psalm 25. In it, he thanks God for watching over him and confidently writes:

15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Later, he indicates why he needs help:
19 Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.

After reading through this psalm, I told the Lord, “You led me to this psalm, and I can see some similarity to our circumstances now. Christians are being terrorized and killed in many parts of the world. And there are threats on all sides of greater shaking and the enemy’s plans to deceive and destroy here in America and other nations. Abba, how shall I pray?”

Clearly, I heard, “Psalm 76 and Psalm 78.”

Psalm 76 left me puzzled. Verse 10 grabbed my attention.
Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; with the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself.

What is this about? I looked up the cross reference in Exodus 9:17-19 and began in context with Exodus 9:13.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me, 14 for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. 15 Now if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. 17 As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. 18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now. 19 Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.” ’ ”

FYI—God was bringing hail to a land that rarely saw rain.

“So, Abba,” I continued, “what I gather from this text is that Pharaoh’s hardened heart and all the things he did to enslave the people is the wrath of man that will praise God. People would declare all the atrocities of the Pharaoh. But the cause of their praise was the fact that You completely displayed Your power against this wicked ruler. All the earth would know how great and powerful You were. You needed them to experience the trials to appreciate who You were and see Your power firsthand.

Remember, readers, Israel had not seen God move or heard Him speak in 400 years. God was about to lead them into the wilderness. They needed to know Him and His ability to provide and protect them. Three million Jews, plus many Egyptians, who saw God move, followed Moses into the Red Sea and the Promised Land. They would not have left Egypt without seeing God move in the plagues.

With this in mind, I asked, “Are You not also doing this today, LORD?”

Yes. What is coming will rock the world, but I will clear it out in an instant, and all the earth will shout their praise. There is purpose in the wickedness. I am using it for My glory.

So, fear not. I am coming to set the record straight. There is One God—God Almighty, King of heaven and earth. Rejoice, your deliverance is at hand. What the enemy meant for evil will turn to amazing good. I am not a god who lies. I will do all that I’ve said. Many will turn with eyes open and receive Me as Lord. But there will also be those who will praise Me one minute and turn back to their rebellion the next. That is in My hand to rectify.

Rejoice, your deliverance is at hand.

Then, He added, “Watch Wall Street.” (We are yet to see what this is about.)

I went on to Psalm 78. It is quite long and records much of Israel’s history with God. Over and over, God walked with Israel and showed her favor. However, verse 32 says,

In spite of this, they still sinned and did not believe in His wondrous works.

Then in verses 34-39 we see God’s response and a pattern of obedience, repentance, blessing, and return to rebellion.

34 When He slew them, then they sought Him;
And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
35 Then they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer.

Israel was fickle, complying one minute and rebelling the next.

36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
And they lied to Him with their tongue;
37 For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
38 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
And did not destroy them.
Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
And did not stir up all His wrath;
39 For He remembered that they were but flesh,
A breath that passes away and does not come again.

America and many other nations have walked a similar path with the Lord for centuries. We’ve loved and praised God after deliverance from war or other enemy activity, then returned to things that give us pleasure.

On May 6th, when I came across the beginning of this blog series in my paper pile, I asked Holy Spirit a question. “What is Your will regarding these notes? Is it time to publish them?” Here was His answer:

Yes, My love is burning like a fire to remove the hindrances from My people–Fear, human thinking and reasoning, denial, rebellion, and pride. They have heard My word, but refused to acknowledge it with action. It is one thing to believe but another to respond. I am the God of love. And love brings correction if it is love at all.

The saying is, “God loves us in our mess, but He isn’t willing to leave us there.” Truly, I am not.
I corrected Israel over and over, and I continue to this day. My plans for you are good and not for evil, to give you hope and a future. I am shaking all that can be shaken. My fiery love is burning hotter. I am purifying My bride.

How can I ignore your seen and unseen bondage? You are My Body, My hands, and feet on this earth. I must set you free to partner with Me in the great commission. I need pure vessels. Those who have allowed My fire to burn away every hindrance as they surrender without reserve to My will.

Love will set you free of every encumbrance. I will fill you anew every morning with all that you need for each day. Come to Me. A great harvest awaits those who are willing to follow My lead. Do not fear. Come to Me.

Then He asked, “Do you trust Me, Beloved?”

Yes, Lord, I trust You.

You have written My word, He said. Do not withhold.

Summary:

From these three blogs and the words I’ve posted in them, we can clearly see that God is behind much of what is happening today. The crucible is starting to burn. He is shaking things up, and none of us particularly likes what is happening. We don’t understand it. We are cursing those who are involved in the decisions made. We are fearful of the future. Still, I must say, we are at the very beginning of incredible shaking, unlike anything the world has ever seen.

I believe, and many prophets are prophesying, that this time of upheaval will be short-lived and God will remove wickedness from our land and restore righteousness. But it is time for His Body–His Bride to wake up.

Jesus is coming back for a Bride without spot or wrinkle. He is not coming back for a bride who is complaining and whining, one who is attacking other believers and leaders, or one who is asleep in apathy, unwilling to do the things God’s enabled her and calling her to do. The rapture, if there is one, is not happening until the Bride makes herself ready.

Does God take first place in our time, energy, and money? Does spending time with Him and in His word take priority over our cell phones, social media, and personal agendas? Do we ask Him what He wants to do in and through us? Or how about DOING what He tells us?

Jesus lived the Kingdom life before us. According to Philippians 2, He submitted Himself as a human being, stripped of power other than what God gives to any of us. He spoke what Abba spoke. He did what He saw Abba do ALWAYS. He modeled for us what it means to walk with God. Anything less than full surrender is not abiding in the vine. (John 15) It is not a TO-DO list. It is an intimate relationship with the Creator and Sustainer of ALL life.

My prayer is that ALL of us–EACH of us sit down with Him and see what His plan is for us individually. He is our Shepherd and when we walk with Him, EVERY need is supplied. (Psalm 23)

Let Your fire burn, LORD. Remove everything in us that does not reflect You. Help us walk together in unity with one another and with You. For Your glory and for Your kingdom, is my prayer.

Shalom, my friends. The days before us are greater than the world has ever seen, and He has chosen us to be part of it. Rejoice. True redemption is at hand.♥