“For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm” (Revelation 9:19).

The Lord will touch us in ways we may not imagine.  If we knew all things, but did not have love, what would it avail us?  Many in this age know many things, but they are filled with hatred and anger.  What should we do with these things?  We are to look to the One who made us and know that He will cause what He purposes to come about in due time.  Out of the mouth comes curses and without a thought, the wicked slay.

Lord, there are many things that I do not understand.  I try to figure things out, but I really cannot figure some things out.  Lead me down the road less traveled where I spend more time thinking of You than I do about the wicked in this world.  Lead me to know that in You alone is hope and an eternal future.  Harm will come throughout this age and I know I am not exempt, but keep me in You no matter what happens.

Lord Jesus, Savior of all who believe, lead me in Your goodness to know that in You alone there is hope.  There are things I do not yet understand.  You have spoken, but it does not always register.  In due time, it will.  Rather than stopping when I am stumped, help me to live into the life You have set before me.  Guide me along the path of being humble and willing to do all that You give me to do.  Amen.

“A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths” (Revelation 9:18).

The wicked will say, “Do you not care that someone will die,” while preparing to kill in mass.  We are all going to die.  Do not forget that.  What will happen when this life is over?  That is the eternal question.  Yes, we care about others, but in the insanity of this age, we forget that life is a gift from God, and He both gives life and He can take it away.  What we do with what He has given is what matters.

Lord, I know the number of people being killed has been escalating over time.  Help me to not become carried away with concern for this age, but to realize that You know that these things will happen and You are telling those who will hear to listen.  It is going to become much worse than we imagine.  Help me to not take the path of trying to figure these things out, but to walk on the humble and simple path that Jesus has placed before me.

Lord Jesus, You did not become enmeshed in the politics of those days when you walked the earth.  Help me to see that there are those who will rejoice in death and destruction.  They, like their father the devil, seek to kill, steal, and destroy.  Lead me to look to You and to be led by the example You gave while upon the earth.  Help me now and always to look to You in every circumstance and know that You, who knows all things, are leading me.  Amen.   

“And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone” (Revelation 9:17).

Who are they?  Can I figure out the times and seasons?  What about you?  Will you look to the Lord no matter what?  During the times of Napoleon, people got excited asking, “Is this it?”  During the times of Hitler, people asked, “Is this it?”  Why look at the wicked when the Gracious One is present.  Look to the Lord and be guided by His gentle hand no matter what the season looks like.

Lord, You know the times and ages that pass in this age.  Lead me by Your gentle hand to walk according to Your goodness and mercy so that I am not driven by the fears of this age.  Lead me by Your gentle hand to live looking to You and not the events in this age.  Yes, the day will come when an army of two hundred million marches forth, but until then, I am where You have placed me.

Lead me, Lord Jesus, throughout this day to concentrate on the task at hand and guide me in Your goodness to do what is right.  Lead me by Your example so that even if armies press on my door, I am looking to You.  You know what is coming.  You also know what You are making of me.  Guide me in the richness of Your grace and mercy to become what You will make of me.  Lead me this and every day.  Amen.

“The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them” (Revelation 9:16).

In what age will this number be realistic?  Are we there yet?  Are we there indeed.  We humans are impatient to get to where we think we need to be.  If you focus upon the life of Jesus, you will see that He almost seemed unconcerned about what we experience as the rush of time.  That is because God has all the time in the world, so to speak.  He is outside of time.  We will be too.

Lord, I am driven by what I think I need to accomplish.  Help me to live according to Your word and not according to the rush of this age.  I have all of my life to be perfected.  This age will run out of time as it prepares to do its continuous battle.  Lead me in life so that I may walk humbly in Your sight.  Guide me in Your goodness to do what is right and fitting in Your sight.

Lord, the armies increase in size and the warfare gets larger.  I am a part of a society that is mad and seems to be getting even crazier each day.  Help me to not look to these things, but to care for my neighbor as I care for myself.  Guide me in Your goodness to do what is right and fitting always.  Help me to not be terrorized by this world, knowing that things will get increasingly worse, but to be motivated by love for You, my Lord and God.  Amen.

“And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind” (Revelation 9:16).

A time is coming when the number will be this high.  During World War Two, three percent of the population of the world was killed.  Deaths from this kind of calamity has been rising over the centuries.  We are heading to the place where vast numbers will be wiped out.  War and hatred drive this age.  Living like one who is a Christ-follower is the answer; there will be no more war in eternity with Christ.

It is not pacifism, but it may look like it.  It is not capitulation, but at first, that is what it seems.  It is humility and compassion.  It is living the two rules, doing as you would be done by and loving the Lord and your neighbor as well.  It is becoming like Christ.  In this age, some will, and some will not.  The question is whether you will be a Christ-follower or not.

Lord Christ, You have come to set the captives free.  You have also come to pour into us the Christ life so that we become what You have always intended.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of everlasting life so that I may indeed become like You.  You have set the course, now direct my steps so that I may live as You guide me, my Savior, Lord, and God.  Guide me forward, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

“Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates” (Revelation 9:13-14)

From the heart of civilization comes the unleashing of judgement.  It may have happened in Rome, but how often is it from the outsider that calamity comes?  Is it not more often that it comes from the inside?  Yes, from the inside comes calamity too.  Governments treat their citizens as objects and humanity is lost in the cogs of the machine.  It has happened and the final day will come when the final judgement ends this age.

Lord, regardless of where I am on the timeline, help me to be faithful at all times.  Even though the culture I am in may kill its people, let me never forget that You are Lord of life and have commanded me to love my neighbor.  Help me to be mindful of others and to treat others as I would want to be treated.  You have guided into me Your principles.  Help me to live within them.

Lord Jesus, without the grace You give, I would be carried away by the culture in which I find myself.  Lead me this day to live the faith You have given me and love my neighbor as myself.  Help me through whatever may come to live by the simple guidelines You have given, remembering that You, too, know suffering.  Peter and Paul were faithful amidst great persecution.  I can too, by Your grace with Your grace, can be faithful in suffering if that be my lot.  Amen.

“The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things” (Revelation 9:12).

This age is filled with woe.  Yes, I know, many look to these words as those which shall be fulfilled at the end.  Have you not heard that things come in threes?  Most everything has its roots in Scripture.  Whether in your life personally, or in the world, these calamities drive a wedge.  The wicked grow farther away from God and the righteous come closer to Him.  Similar actions produce different results based upon your relationship with the Lord.

Lord, let every action of this world drive me closer to You.  I can do nothing about what happens in this world, but I can do something about how I react to it.  Lead me in the way You know I need to go and then help me stand firm in that way.  Guide me in Your goodness to see this with clarity so that when I am tempted to be angry and blame You, I will instead praise You.

Lord Jesus, You know what it is to receive curse after curse.  You have experienced this with every generation.  You experienced this when You went to the cross.  You do understand how difficult it is.  Help me through every difficulty to draw nearer to You.  Help me through every circumstance to learn how to respond as You responded to Your adversaries.  Teach me, Jesus, to be like You.  Amen. 

“They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon” (Revelation 9:11).

The wicked one kills, steals, and destroys.  The name means ‘destruction.’  How many times have the wicked of this age destroyed God’s people?  Many ancient things are gone because they were destroyed, not by time, but by people.  How sad that this world has been ravaged by destruction.  Our Savior has come so that we may have life and have it abundantly.  Flee destruction and come into constructive life as it is meant to be lived.

Lord, I may not know the times, but I can see the seasons.  I may not live in the end of time, but I know destruction.  Teach me to reject wickedness such that it has no power over me.  Though I lament, teach me to rejoice in the grace and mercy which is mine in You.  Help me to become clear that this age is temporary, but that You are forever.  Guide me in this upward way to see through the wickedness of this age.

Savior of my soul, guide me through the destruction that is all around me.  Guide me in the way of righteous living so that I may persevere no matter what I encounter.  Guide me to look to You in and through all things.  Help me to not fear the destruction of this temporary body that I inhabit, but to have true and godly fear of what is good and right.  Thank You for saving me from the mess of this world.  Though I die, yet shall I live!  Amen.

“They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months” (Revelation 9:10).

Yes, a day is coming when what this means will be fully known.  The sting of pestilence is quick, but the aftermath is long.  We give things a day or two and then we want bad things to go away.  The Lord leaves in place what He leaves in place and we should be thankful for His provision in every season.  You have been hurt because of sin.  All sin has been heaped upon Christ.  Your hurt has become His hurt and His overcoming should be yours also.

Lord, the mystery of this is great.  I often wonder and ask, “Why don’t You remove the pain of the world?”  And you answered by taking pain upon Yourself.  You have also given us the promise that all things work together for good for those who love You.  When I put these two things together, it is very mysterious.  Lead me out of the pit of wanting to figure all things out so that I learn to simply trust You amongst all the perplexing things of my life.

Savior of the world, who died in my place, You poured Yourself out in order that I might be filled up with You.  Take the portion of sin in me that remains and fill me with You.  Let me be emptied of myself so that I can focus on You and my neighbors.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to be kind to others and love them as You have loved me.  Through all that will come upon me, help my eyes to turn You first, always, and in every circumstance.  Amen.

“They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle” (Revelation 9:9).

Some have tried to make of this some modern machinery that would terrorize us.  The pestilence in our life is strong and the noise of our culture is deafening.  It is hard to “be still and know that You are God.”  Yet, this is the call for all of us: to learn how to be still and listen to the Lord even though a battle rages around us and the noise is overwhelming.  Turn to the One who calls us to come to Him and He will help.

Lord, direct my life so that I see these things and do not fear them, for You have said: “fear not.”  You are, as You always have been, Lord of all.  The directions You give sometimes seem so hard, but that is because I try to do these things on my own.  Take away my pride and help me to turn to You.  Guide me in the way of righteousness so that I may follow You in all ways and learn from, and trust in. Your gentle love.

Lord Jesus, You are with me in every time of need.  You poured Yourself out so that Your life could become deeply rooted in the new life You give.  Guide me in the fruit of the Spirit so that I learn them as they become a part of me.  Let me not be afraid of this world, for it is passing away.  Help me to always look to You continuously.  You know what I need.  Thank You for providing all things necessary.  Amen.