Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand. The people who are destined for prison will be arrested and taken away. Those who are destined for death will be killed. But do not be dismayed, for here is your opportunity to have endurance and faith. (Revelation 13:9-10)

An interesting thought. An encouraging thought. John is exhorting believers to hang on and endure. Bad times will happen, but we need to endure anyway. And why not endure with joy? I keep thinking of the book I read by Kay Warren that "even if it's not okay, I'm okay". I don't think the Bible ever makes light of the trials of what these people are going through, but there are countless examples of people, with the help of the Holy Spirit, enduring and even thriving despite the circumstances, and they come through them with joy. It amazes me what they went through and what God did for them. What a great God we serve!