The Art of Scrapbooking

Everyone knows at least one mother who saves every little thing she can get her hands on about her child -- pictures, report cards, school essays, a lock from his hair, her first pair of shoes, a note written by the child -- even though the misspellings make it almost incomprehensible. But to that mom, indecipherable notations, snapshots taken on a bad hair day, even a worn-out barrette she used to wear in her hair take on a special significance.

My niece has two children and has seriously contributed to the effort to make scrapbooking an art form. I have never seen anything like it. Her dedication to “properly” saving and displaying such memorabilia is nothing less than phenomenal.

So does the Lord have scrapbooks about His children? In a way, yes, although you might be surprised to learn about something in particular which He saves. If you are in fact His child, if you have accepted His free gift of salvation -- made Him your Lord and Savior, guess what? He still has every prayer you ever prayed. Revelation 5:8 and later Revelation 8:3 both let us know that God has taken every single entreaty you have ever made and kept it on hand. Talk about scrapbooking!

Think of all the prayers you have every prayed. Think of those particularly that have never been answered. Even when you pray the Lord’s prayer and say “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth ...” you know that so far, that has never happened! So far at least, that is just an unanswered prayer, correct? Well yes, but I should not have used the word “just” in connection with any prayer that has ever been prayed. Sometimes we say “Well, all we can do is pray.” And yet, to God each of our prayers is far greater than a tattered bow or newsclipping of a now forgotten school play. Each one has a special significance to Him.

And as important as each little item of memorabilia is to a loving mother, our prayers are not simply something for God to keep to listen to again at a later time. Oh no -- they have a far greater purpose. Right now they’re sitting in scrapbook form, but there is a day coming when they will actually be used to usher in that coming Kingdom of God. The prayers which we have prayed over our lifetimes, even when we sincerely prayed something like “Now I lay me down to sleep” as my mother taught me, will be used in an all-out, desperate, last-gasp program for God to get the world’s attention. A day is coming when every prayer you have ever prayed, every utterance to God, even when you only had a second to say: “Help!” will be offered on an altar near God’s throne.

Picture for a moment that throne. Do you think He just sits up there drinking ambrosia, playing His harp and letting the world drift by? Wrong! He is incredibly conscious and aware of what’s going on in the earth which He so lovingly created. It’s just that we sometimes mistake His patience, His forbearance, and His long-suffering with a lack of concern. Nothing could be further from the truth!

We know from scripture that there is a golden altar in front of God’s throne. Right now, your prayers are simply being saved up, like in a mother’s scrapbook, but there will come a day when they will be burned as incense on that altar. The thought of God enjoying the smell from incense rising sounds rather strange to us in the 21st century. The Jewish worshippers in Old Testament days would have had a much better handle on this because of the daily sacrifices at the Temple whichthey experienced from their childhood days. To put it into our own vernacular, think of the effect which perfume counters in big department stores can have on us. There is clearly something powerful in that pleasant smell, no doubt done deliberately to increase sales. That pleasant odor must be something like what the Lord experiences when our prayers are offered before Him.

The angel will put the prayers into a container which the Bible refers to as a censer and fire from the altar will then be added to the mix. The censer will probably be similar to a bowl or a goblet -- something with a large, open mouth.

But God will not simply look at it and say: “Oh, that’s nice.” No, He’ll watch as the angel picks up the censer and hurls it down -- to earth! The results will not be pretty. Not at all. The containers bursting on earth will cause thunder and lightening, along with voices and an earthquake. Those prayers we pray -- and so often feel are simply unnoticed by all -- will first go to God but eventually returned to the earth -- with incalculable effects. They will shake the earth! These prayers will be transformed into high explosives with pinpoint accuracy by the angel at God’s right hand! Someday, our prayers will become like a storm -- they’ll actually produce an earthquake! In effect, as those censers hurtle their way toward the earth the Lord will be saying: “Okay world, this is your last chance. For centuries my people have been patiently believing for their loved ones to be saved. I’ve had it with you! Accept me or else! You’re out of time!”

Well, we do not necessarily WANT judgment to come. Others should know we are Christians by our love. After all, it’s not hatred which causes people to repent, but the goodness of God according to Romans 2:4. On the other hand, the ultimate judgment of God is inevitable. At some point in time, an undisclosed day which He has already scheduled for judgment will come. At that time, every prayer you have ever prayed will be a part of God’s plan which will culminate with His son ruling and reigning over the earth. Yes, it will have to get worse before it gets better -- sort of like labor pains -- but the end result will be beyond anything we can imagine or think -- and I can imagine a lot!

Until then, know that your prayers accomplish a great deal -- more than you can ever truly comprehend.