The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.

The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3.

You also be ready. Luke 12:40. We walk by faith, not by sight! 2 Corinthians 5:7.

This is a difficult chapter to read, Revelation 13. As you read, remember Satan is the great imitator and deceiver of all that is good. And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

We have either read these words before or have heard of them and they sound so foreign to us even as we try to figure out all that they mean. And even as events unfold in our world today that are familiar and yet still so foreign to us at the same time, remember the truth of Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. John 16:33. And this promise: And behold, I AM with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20. Speaking for me, I may not understand the number of the beast or why the deceiver seeks to destroy always, or how anyone could be so deceived to believe his lies. Jesus understood all too well how hurtful lies and deception were to those who lived when He walked among them teaching the truth of the kingdom of God. But this I do know – I understand God’s love. He is light and hope and holiness and clarity for all that is good and needed. And I give thanks for Him! I will keep my eyes on Him and my heart attuned to His truth of His love for us and I will rejoice and give thanks even when things seem so dark because I know He is working for us. We know the end of the story even as we live through all the darkness the deceiver brings but his time, thankfully, is limited. Jesus is with us even to the end of the age – because the end of the age is the beginning of life with Creator God with us all! That is my hope. Everything else so foreign to understand I leave to God as I follow Him. Following Jesus brings the light we need to see by – the light of God’s love for us His children dearly loved. All else is darkness.