“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” Rom. 16:20
Heavenly Father, this verse holds great, timely hope for all of your daughters and sons—especially for those in Ukraine and Russia. Jesus fulfilled the first Gospel promise on the cross. His “bruised heel” secured the “crushed head” of the serpent (Gen. 3:15). In just a couple of weeks, our Holy Week observances and Easter celebration will commemorate this once-and-for-all victory.
In fact, Satan’s present flurry of fury (in Ukraine and elsewhere) is a sure sign he knows his time is short (Rev. 12:12). Our weary, longing, craving-cry is, make “short” real “short,” Father. We are so ready for the “second crushing” of Satan—the Day of no more harm or harming in the entire cosmos. The Day Jesus returns, evil is annihilated, and this terra firma becomes the new heaven and new earth.
“Soon,” everywhere we plant our feet, dance with delight, stroll with no hurry, meander for the fun of it, linger in awe of it—everywhere will be filled with your glory, grace, and goodness. When the battle rages most fiercely and the schemes of Satan seem to be winning the day, grant us your peace that passes all understanding, and wisdom from above. Father, we don’t just ask for surviving grace but for thriving grace—grace to serve our neighbors, care for our global faith-family, share the Gospel, and love to your glory. So Very Amen.