Persevere and Trust

8 Everyone living on earth will worship it except those whose names are written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb slaughtered before the world was founded. 9 Those who have ears, let them hear!
10 “If anyone is meant for captivity,
into captivity he goes!
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he is to be killed!”
This is when God’s holy people must persevere and trust!

-Revelations 13:8-10

Everyone on earth will worship... Through this we understand that is it a natural characteristic of man to worship a god, a power, a higher being greater than themselves. It is inate in man to worship. They can even worship themselves if they make themselves their gods. But those whose names are written in the Book of Life are those that belong to GOD. Is your name written on the book of life? If you don't even know what the book of life is, search it out and read GOD's Word because man's salvation in sound in the words of the Bible. Everything we ever need to be in the book of Life is written there. We need to continue reading the Book of GOD given to man - the Bible for HIS word, which is who HE is Himself - the Lamb, instructs and speaks to us through this living word. 

Everyone living on earth at the time of GOD's judgement will all go through the great tribulation coming into earth. Only GOD knows how we can ever overcome from this time of Jacob's trouble (the great tribulation), it is through trusting and persevering that we will be able to pass through the great tribulation without having to be disqualified from being in the Book of Life. The time will come when everyone will be tested and it will not be easy but only those who persevere and overcome will enter GOD's Kingdom receiving great rewards from the greatest King who has been watching over us throughout our entire lives, all the days of our life on earth. If we know HE is ever present before us, should we live carelessly knowing that there is a great time of GOD's judgement coming? It doesn't mean to say that we live in fear when we are being aware of GOD's judgement, it is to live in the highest respect and worship to a GOD to whom we will give an account of our entire lives all the days of our life on earth. The GOD who sees all, who knows all, but loves us inspite of it all. 

The Secret

6 This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7 Some of the people of Israel, as well as some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants, traveled up to Jerusalem with him in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes’ reign.
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in August of that year. 9 He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived at Jerusalem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.10 This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.

- Ezra 7:5-10

A scribe is a person who copies out documents, esp. one employed to do this before printing was invented. But Ezra wasn't just another scribe. He must have read the things he copied and studied them. It may be why Ezra was well versed in the law of Moses or the Torah. Ezra used his work to know GOD better, he didn't just copy, he studied what he wrote. But how could an ordinary scribe have such great favor from the king of the Land, that when he asked for the king the things he needed, the king gave everything he asked for! What was Ezra's secret? Well, he didn't find favor with the king because he was a man of influence or because he had power in this king's kingdom. He found favor first with the greatest King, the GOD of Israel, the true and living GOD of all the Universe. This is where Ezra first found favor and because GOD favored him, GOD caused the king of a pagan nation to favor him too. This is the secret to his success.

Ezra didn't just have all that he needed, in fact Ezra had planned everything that year to leave for Jerusalem on a certain date but he arrived in Jerusalem 4 days earlier than he planned to leave for Jerusalem. How is that??? I'm sure Ezra wanted to be there earlier than planned, and GOD gave him what he wanted not because he asked for it, but just because it delights GOD to make Ezra happy. Do you want to have that kind of relationship with GOD? Do you want to have that gracious hand of the LORD on you just as it was with Ezra? Then do as Ezra did, determine to study the word of GOD and apply, obey the law of the LORD which is the Bible, with all your heart and make sure you are able to teach others what you know has blessed you with GOD's gracious hand in your life. Determine to study GOD's ways and HE will certainly bless you more than you can ask or imagine. Whatever work you do in life, you can always apply GOD's word, use what you do to bring others to know GOD, seek GOD, study His word and apply it. This is the secret to success.