Love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:20.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13.

Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1.

And our chapter, Revelation 14: Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless. And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe, and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and springs of waters.” And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

I have read Revelation several times but I have never read it with such an overwhelming need to love the Lord my God, to listen to Him, and to hold fast to Him…for He is my life. And this…Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour has come – worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters. All of the confusions of this world seek to turn us away from Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. But loving Him and trusting Him, how can I not hold fast to Him and listen to Him? I didn’t create anything and wisdom and understanding do not belong to me. But I can look to the One who did and who IS wisdom and understanding so far beyond us. And if you read Revelation and like me wonder what does it all mean, welcome. You are in good company and in that place of wonder that allows you to see how much you don’t understand, turn to God. He is here, always. Those who seek Him find Him, and in their hearts turned to Him, is life and His love showing the way forward with Him. It takes time with Him and surrendering our certainties that need surrendering – so that we can learn anew with Him. And being with Him is the best journey you will ever undertake! The land God gives is the kingdom of God and us with Him…the life of faith! Listen to Jesus’ own words to us: Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God – and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand – repent and believe in the gospel!” Mark 1:14-15. The kingdom of God is not any of the kingdoms of Babylon – the kingdoms of this world all. They will all fall. Pray the confusions of this world recede and that you look to God for understanding and help, because He knows the way and it is so good with Him! Repent and believe in the gospel of God!