God's Handkerchief

"These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb...Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Revelation 7: 14, 16, 17

"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

      Raise your hand if you have ever experienced tribulation! The definition of tribulation is "great sorrow or distress, as from oppression." The deserts of misery that exist on earth quickly sap a person's strength, making them feel hungry and thirsty, as though the sun is beating down relentlessly; no shade can be found.

     Currently, I am reading two books. Although their settings are two different eras, both represent oppression of the Jews. The first sets the stage of what life was like before Jesus was born, during the time of Julius Caesar. Seems like the powermongers were barbarians who oppressed anyone who got in the way of their empiracal plans. Natural life spans were short enough for these hardscrabble people, but then they could be wiped out mercilessly by an envious king. Little regard was given to human life.

     Fastforward to the days of the Third Reich (the setting of my second book) and things have not changed much in Nazi Germany. When left to themselves, mankind has an evil, selfish core that knows no bounds.  Without the influence of the love of God, this world is hopeless.

     The cross was a Roman tool for grisly execution, yet, for me and for all the Christians, it is a blessed symbol of hope! The blood that was shed at Calvary washes away the sins that stain us all. Jesus plainly tells us that we WILL have trouble (tribulation) in this world, but he is the Victor! God himself will whip out his handkerchief and wipe away your tears of sorrow.

     Any newspaper will confirm that the tribulation is growing worse. It's not going to get any better here. But if we have faith in God to pull us through, we will live in the new heaven and the new earth where the old order of things have passed away. Bring it on!