Flood Alert Notice

Proverbs 22:3 “A prudent man foresees evil (or calamity) and hides himself. but the simple (or foolish) pass on and are punished.”

We received our “Flood Alert” notice today.

This year, because of an exceptionally heavy snow fall, there is fear of a repeat of the 1948 flood in the communities that live in the flood plains of the mighty Fraser River.
There have been advisories issued as to what precautions and preparations are prudent for those whose homes are in danger or for those who would be affected by secondary issues such as being stranded, or being without hydro or drinking water. .
I have watched and listened over the last few weeks and found that people’s reactions fall into four groups.

1> There are the people who take the threat very seriously and do all they can to be prepared.
I got into a conversation with a young lady who stood behind me in the line up waiting for a bank teller. She told me about her friend who has taken every precaution she could, to the extent that she has purchased polyurethane to wrap her house in. She has moved all her belongings to the top floor, including the motorcycle. All emergency supplies have been purchased. She is ready for the worst case scenario!

2> Then there are the people who listen to the warnings and consider the facts and decide to make bare minimum preparations. They buy some bottled water, stock up on a few staples, such as canned food and batteries and hope the flood doesn’t happen.
Their preparations may be enough, they may not.

3> Many people have decided they will just wait and see. If the flood begins to happen, they will go out and quickly get what they need. Waiting until the last minute may be too late, especially if too many other people had the same idea.

4> Lastly, there are the people who scoff at the whole possibility of a flood and refuse to take the threat seriously. They have no intention of taking any precautions, not even planning for emergency necessities.

It struck me how the reactions of people facing the threat of a disaster parallel the reactions of people facing certain death and eternity.
We don’t like to think of death. God has given us a will to live which is normal and good, but we all know that “it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgement” (Heb. 9:27)
No one lives forever on this earth. It is a fact no one can deny and yet the reactions vary.

1> There are the people who, recognizing the fact that death and eternity are a sure thing, search out what they must do to be ready and make all the necessary preparations. They make sure that they know their salvation is secured and that they are living in such a way that they are ready to face God at any moment. They, like the five wise virgins, have their lamps trimmed and have extra oil with them.

2> Then there are the people who recognize that one day their life here will end but they really don’t want to do more than the bare minimum to be prepared. They go to church fairly regularly and have a short list of things they do to appease their consciences hoping it will be enough.
The five foolish virgins also thought they had enough and by the time they realized their mistake it was too late.

3> There are also those who do not want to ‘cramp their style’ and while they know what they must do to be saved, decide that they will just wait until the last minute and then quickly make things right then.
But it is almost impossible to get ready in a crisis moment.
A friend of mine lost her brother this past month.
He owned businesses in two cities and sold one to use the cash flow to enlarge and upgrade the business in the other city. He was excited to carry out his plans. Four days after the sale was finalized he was killed in a car accident. He was not prepared for death and eternity.
Leaving things for the last minute is taking the ultimate risk ….. with all eternity at stake.

3> Then there are the ones who simply refuse to acknowledge the facts.
They deny the evidence proving that God and eternity are real and that one day they will answer to the Judge of all men. They prefer to believe that they can write their own reality to suit themselves; they will live and die on their own terms.

God has sent out his “Alert Notice!”

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says;
Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion…..
Beware, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God….
exhort one another daily while it is called ‘today’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin..
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said,
Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
(Heb. 3:7-15)

What is YOUR reaction?