John reminded the persecuted church in Revelation about the true God “who is and who was and who is to come” (Rev. 1:4). Is there anything greater that we can contemplate than that understanding that God is eternal when facing tribulation? The agony of persecution, the cultural opinions of the day, the world leaders on the scene, all loom so large when the pressure is on us until we take a step back and realize how temporary it all is in the grand scheme of eternity. All of that comes and all of it will go. God and His truth remains – He was and He is and He always will be. The momentary frown of the world can’t replace the eternal smile from God. May we go through life keeping our eyes on Him and our minds heavenward and not on the passing trends and transient existence of this life.