God is the Judge

Hey Prayer Closet Warriors!

Can you believe we are coming to the end of August? Listen: God has definitely sped time up. The beautiful thing in this is that God is in control. If you are feeling overwhelmed with how fast things are moving, I want to encourage you to hold tight to our Father. He stands outside of time and knows the end from the beginning. Rest assured; He will sustain you.

Guess what I had the pleasure of doing today? Give up? Jury duty. Now, some might think this isn’t pleasant at all, but for me, today it was. I’m looking at this from a different perspective. I learned that when we stand before God, it's like a court hearing. Your accuser is the enemy, God is the Judge, and Jesus is your lawyer (read plead your case by. Kenneth E. Hagin). This underscores why it's so important to study and read your bible. You need to know God's law. The Enemy always tries to throw accusations at you, but when you know God and know His word, he can't win. You are already free of ALL charges. Why? Because Jesus died for you and me. You are a citizen of heaven—so know your rights!

I got up at 4:45 this morning to prepare myself for the day. First, I sat alone in prayer with Abba, then showered, dressed, joined 6 am prayer, and prepared JJ for his morning routine. I headed out the door around 7:10. During my prayer time this morning, I asked God to make Himself present to me, and He did. Although I had been summoned in the past and never served, doing this with God transformed the experience.

Let me break down how the process goes.

At 8:30 am, the doors opened (a bit late). We entered a large room, handed in our summons, filled out a form, and sat in three aisles of cushioned seats. At the front, a courthouse officer stood by a large wooden table. He addressed us with a microphone, played a short video explaining our role as jurors, and gave an overview of the day. Additionally, a judge came down to address us.

From 9:45 to 11, the officer lined us up in groups by the numbers we were given. The numbers ranged from 1-300, and I was number 167. After waiting for a short while, I was escorted to another room where we met the Judge, attorneys, the defendant, and other court officials. Everyone introduced themselves, and the Judge delved into the case details, reminding us that these are just accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

She then posed a series of questions. A few examples included:

- Do you recognize the judge, defendant, or any of the lawyers/attorneys or potential jurors?

- Have you heard anything about this case?

- Are there any police officers in your family? If a police officer testifies, should their account be weighed more heavily than someone not in uniform?

- Have you served on a jury before, and was it a positive experience?

There were more, but you get the gist.

For those unfamiliar with my previous blog posts, I want to reiterate: in this prayer closet, I strive to be honest, vulnerable, and transparent.

With that being said, as soon as the judge read the defendant's accusation and I saw him, I immediately said to myself, he’s guilty. I was ready to conclude the matter then and there.

Of course, I can't discuss case details since I took an oath.

The judge then probed further to see who was fit to try the case. Questions included:

- Do you understand the presumption of innocence?

- If I handed you a jury ballot now, would you mark guilty or not guilty?

- If the case concludes with a not guilty verdict, would you be unsettled?

- If the defendant doesn’t testify, would you hold it against him?

After this, we were ushered into another room to wait. This time, we could speak to the judge and attorneys privately.

During this waiting period, I was reading my Bible. The Lord led me to the book of Jeremiah this morning. Known as the weeping prophet, Jeremiah called on people to repent and return to God. Yet, his pleas fell on deaf ears.

In the midst of me reading, I felt profound guilt. I realized my sins are no less significant than the defendant's. Remembering, In God's eyes, all sins are equal. This revelation led me to repent. I took my journal out and starting writing, asking God for forgiveness for my hasty judgment.

God replied, “Tasha, I have given you a heart like mine so that you can understand the true depth of this walk. Baby, it is challenging to walk in the flesh, but that is why I had to send Jesus. There will be many that stand before me, all guilty of sin, but I am the Judge. I know and see everyone’s heart. Your job, what I called you to do, what I’ve anointed you for, is to speak! Use the words I give and judge not with your human eyes and perspectives. For I am just and loving.”

He then confirmed His message with John 7:24: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

What does this imply? As Christians, it's our responsibility to discern. We must identify those who might not value God's teachings. While judgment has its place, it should stem from deep reflection and understanding. True discernment, grounded in authenticity, can ONLY be achieved through guidance from the Holy Spirit, for ONLY God truly understands the depths of a person's heart.

God has persistently called us to repent and return to Him, but His pleas have been dismissed. Now is the moment to act. Turn away from sin and find your way back to God. Just as that individual stood before a judge today, each of us will stand before God on Judgment Day. Thanks to God's grace and mercy, we have the chance to repent and turn away from sin right now. Heed God's warnings earnestly and don't overlook His call.

Abba Father,

We thank you for another day of life. We would not be able be here today if it was not for your grace and mercy. Abba, please forgive us of the sins we have committed against you, known and unknown. Today, we are seeking for you to change our hearts. Humble us Oh lord, because none of us are perfect. We have all fallen short of your glory and yet you still love us. You said in your word we must forgive 70 times 7 just as you forgive us daily. Help us to see each other through your eyes because you are the only one qualified to judge. We pray for those you have appointed to serve in our justice system. May they seek you for wisdom and guidance to judge righteously. As each day pass please continue to strengthen us in our faith. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Be blesses,

Natasha

The Prayer Closet Mama ™