What a time of horrible existence! When the beast is in control and waging war on the saints, he will have the worship of all those whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Talk about widespread disbelief and hardness of heart! The conclusion of the matter is: "Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints." The saints must hang on enduring the most terrible things that the beast can imagine. However, their fate is not determined by the beast but by God who has chosen those whose names are recorded in the bookof life from before the foundation of the world. It is amazing to think that all these events were set in place before the foundation of the world. When people are going through a terrible time, they tend to forget that God has a sovereign plan that covers ages and ages. Instead of focusing on God, they focus on their own personal, physical end of the trial. Their world tends to become very 'I' centered. But what is the admonition for these chosen ones? Endure and have faith! They must look outside of themselves and focus on God. This is their only concern! I wonder how I would hold up during such a time of horrendous persecution. Would my faith be strong enough to endure? Have I grown as I should have? Have I fed my faith so that my body thrives on the spiritual not on the physical?

Father,
Prepare my heart for what you have determined before the foundation of the world. Make my faith strong and able to endure. Take my focus off the world, its system, and my flesh and focus it on You.
In the name of the Lamb,
Amen