Disaster Deterred

Last night, while driving home from a friend’s house, we pulled up to an intersection on the highway, like we had done hundreds of times there before. It was about 10:30 and therefore, of course, dark. As we neared the intersection, the light was red and we came to a stop. Traffic was oddly heavier than usual at this particular intersection, but not really noteworthy as my wife, Kristin, and I were talking about the gathering that we had just left. As the light turned green I began to ease across the line and make our left turn to head home. The second the tires started to roll, Kristin put her hand on me and said “Wait a second”. I immediately put on the brakes and stopped the car. She was looking to the left and had seen a tractor trailer that had locked its brakes up and was rolling right through the red light in the open inside lane. My view of it was pretty much blocked due to another big rig in the outside lane. All I saw until the truck rolled past in front of us was the smoke from his tires. Without question, we would have been t-boned by this truck had Kristin not seen it approaching. We were heading straight for, what would have been, a disaster.

As the truck went past, we both let out a sigh and we knew that God had protected us. Kristin began to cry as she saw vividly what would have happened had she not seen the truck running the light and began to praise God for being our shelter. As we slowly pulled out and began to head north, we talked about the parallels of what had just taken place with what the Spirit has been speaking to us lately. Stay alert! Stay aware! An intersection with destruction is coming for those that are not watching and waiting. Several actions stood out to me that are easily mirrored in the spiritual.

1. She Saw – Kristin saw the truck coming although I did not. We MUST be seers! We must look to the signs and seasons. We must look to God’s Word. We must see what the Spirit is doing in this hour. We are the watchmen. Also, we must surround ourselves with other seers who might see what we may not.

2. She Warned – Seeing is not enough. If she had seen, yet not spoken what she had seen, destruction still would have come. Likewise, we must speak what we see, when the Lord prompts us, to declare His coming. We are here to announce His impending return and the judgment that is coming soon.

3. I Heard – I simply listened to what she was saying. My ears were open and welcoming to what she was speaking.

4. I Heeded - My response to her insisting I stop was immediate. I didn’t question her or ask her why as I continued to pull out into the intersection (which is rare). I willingly heeded her instruction – thankfully so as she saw what I did not see.

5. The results of steps 1 through 4 brings about my last point: Catastrophe Avoided. Because she saw and she spoke out what she saw, I had the opportunity to hear her and heed her instruction and warning. Because of all of these things, our being run down by the tractor trailer was averted and we continued on our way, praising the Lord.

Likewise a great judgment is coming and it needs to be seen by the followers of Christ and spoken in warning. We must announce what is to come, the things that we have seen and heard, in the hopes that those we tell will hear and heed, causing the coming wrath of God to be avoided in their lives. When we see and speak a warning, it is up to them to decide whether to heed it or not. I didn’t see the truck, Kristin did. She didn’t freak out or yell (damnation!) – she calmly stated what she saw and I responded, avoiding the sure result. We must see, we must hear – it is then up to them to hear, heed and respond. Let me put it like this, if I was completely convinced that there would be a bomb dropped on your house tomorrow morning, would you not desire me to tell you? Friends, we know by reading the Word, watching the heavens, and seeing the signs and seasons that time is running short. We MUST be found as watchmen, declaring what is to come. Through us, God extends His hand of mercy and declares that He desires none to perish. May we be found as faithful stewards of this responsibility that is before us. Come Lord Jesus.