Revelation 16:4-9. After the second angel has poured his bowl into the sea turning it to blood and killing everything in the sea, the third angel pours his bowl into the rivers and fountains of water and they become like blood, polluting all the waters of the world. The angel of water says "Just are thou in these thy judgments... O Holy One. For men have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou has given them blood to drink. It is their due." The altar in the temple replies in kind: "true and just are thy judgments!" Then the fourth angel pours his bowl on the sun which is then allowed to burn and scorch men with fire. The people "curse the name of God, who had power over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory."

God's judgments are always right and true, we ultimately get what we give. Thus, those who shed the blood of holy people are given blood to drink. But here the whole world is given blood to drink, so that does not seem fair or just. But we know that it is, because the angel and the altar proclaim it, so let's think how this could be. Perhaps, even though the waters of the world have been turned to blood, God is still protecting his faithful. Perhaps he has inspired them to put aside a clean water supply ahead of time (like Joseph told Pharaoh to do when interpreting his dream of famine). Or perhaps they have access to an unpolluted water supply. This, it seems to me, is how God works. He strengthens the bars of the gates of his faithful. This is done quietly, behind the scenes of the epic battle between good and evil with which the rest of the world is occupied.

If the world thinks of the protected ones at all, it sees them as crazy, or it mocks them as "preppers" or as "holy rollers." So what? The faithful know they are being held in the palm of God's hand. They know these calamities are meant as justice, and they will suffer to the extent that they need to feel God's justice (which we all do, because we are all sinners!). Noah, the ultimate prepper, experienced the mockery of the world as he built his ark. It did not stop him and he saved the future of the world by trusting God.

As we suffer through the calamities of what I really believe is the beginning of "end times," we must have the faith and trust of Noah and Joseph. We must listen for God's prompts and act on them. We must be calm and faithful, but be ready, for when God's messenger comes, he will be like a refiner's fire - we will all be tested, but we know that he always protects his faithful ones.