God's Cup of Wrath - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) June 16, 2023

God's Cup of Wrath is the Lord's justified retribution meted out to the wicked. It is His justice coming upon those who treat others unfairly without fear of the Almighty. It is the vengeance that comes upon the evil ones for all their works - works that they thought God did not see and/or would ignore. This cup is not for the righteous who walk in the fear of the Lord. Sure, God's children do experience some serious heat in their lives but the Lord reserves His wrath for the wicked. Those who serve others gods, oppress others and cause bloodshed. When God's children experience affliction, it is either His attempt to correct their course, or teach them valuable lessons they will need for their next season.

That said, one righteous person did experience the Cup of God's Wrath but for a selfless and righteous reason - Jesus Christ. He nevertheless pleaded in Luke 22:42 - saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done" (AMP). God still allowed His Son to drink so as to become a sacrifice for the sins of the world. A way for humanity to receive God's forgiveness despite how they had turned from Him.

Though a terrible experience, what a merciful blessing that Jesus drank from that cup and died on the cross for others. In the process, He endured disrespect, humiliation, pain, thirst, and more. All so that sinners would never have to drink from the Cup of Wrath. And we would have drank because as sinners, all humans needed salvation to be justified and reconciled with the Lord. We are told in Romans 3:23-24 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Once a person returns to God - having repented, committed to believe in Jesus, and make Him the authority over their life - that Cup of Wrath doesn't come near. Consider Isaiah 51:22 - This is what your Sovereign Lord says, your God, who defends His people: "See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger, from that cup, the goblet of My wrath, you will never drink again." Apostle Paul also said in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 - For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

But, wait! There's more!

Once someone goes from deserving wrath to salvation, several promises become available. One such promise is contained in Isaiah 54:23 - I will put it [the cup of wrath] into the hands of your tormentors, who said of you, "Fall prostrate that we may walk on you, and you made your back like the ground, like a street to be walked on.'" God will place His Cup of Wrath into the hands of the evil ones. Those who torment His beloveds will drink and become drunk till they stagger. These sorts include all who dare oppress His chosen ones. Those who decide to treat His children unfairly. Those who didn't realize that the blood and the name of Jesus sets every captive free. No longer shall those who believe in Him (believing in Jesus means believing in God and vice versa) suffer at the hands of tormentors.

Are you being tormented in any way? Is your mental health under attack? How are things at your job? Does it seem the devil is hard at work creating setbacks in your career? Could the torment be in your family life? Is your family fractured and in need of God's reconciliatory grace? Is there torment surrounding finances whereby there is never and has never been enough for your needs, talk less of good works? The enemy could also be tormenting your health, constantly attacking so you are in fear of disease or worse.

If you repent, state that you believe in Jesus and receive Him as your Lord and Savior, then you step outside of the enemy's reach. The tormentor has to cease because you become a new creation, transformed by the sacrifice and grace of Christ - the one righteous man who drank from the cup of wrath on your behalf. You get to enjoy this benefit and proclaim God's promise as a wordstone - your enemy has to drink from God's cup of wrath because you have been saved! If you have repented, proclaimed that you believe in Jesus and received Him as Lord and Savior, then wonderful! If not, what are you waiting for? The devil will tell you that the commitment you made to God is irrelevant, that your sins have washed it away. Remember, satan is a liar! Grace and mercy are available. Why do you think Jesus stands at the right hand of God interceding? Hold onto your faith, resist satan and it will flee as God builds you into who He wants you to be. Just let God transform you.

Once you have declared Jesus as the authority of your life, be sure to proclaim over yourself that He already drank from the cup of wrath so you will never need to. Decree that in accordance with the word in Isaiah 51:22 and elsewhere, God's cup of wrath sits in the hands of your enemy - the devil and all who serve it. They must all drink from it, IJN, Amen. Be sure to come back at Noon EST to worship the Lord, pray for other people, then pray in unison, with scripture, to declare and rejoice in our freedom from wrath as children of God!