Wow. One severe weather system behind us, another one coming. Welcome to Spring in Tornado Alley. Looks like our children will once again have their young children in bed with them before the night is over. And I'll be waking up during the night to the annoying alarm on our weather radio and that robotic voice of NOAA radio. But that's OK. There's a reason all those weather guys strongly urge you to have one of those life-saving radios. And why I strongly urge me to respond when the warning comes!
I just saw the video of that North Carolina home supply store that got totally "remodeled" by a deadly tornado. Even though there were an estimated 100 people in the store, amazingly no one was seriously injured. Reason: in one frantic minute, the store manager gave the warning and everyone rushed to the safest spot in the store. Because of a warning and a quick response.
I thank God for a warning - even the annoying ones - when a dangerous storm's about to hit. Not just the warning from the radio. I'm talking about the alarm in my soul. Because I'm in the path of danger I can't see.
The Holy Spirit - that's what the Bible calls my "internal warning system." When Jesus left for heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live inside all of us who belong to Him. To "convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment" (John 16:8). Because sin is inevitably followed by storms that break things you treasure and tear up your world. As the wife of an adulterously disgraced politician said recently, "You can pick your sin. You can't pick your consequences."
The alarm goes off in our soul when we lie. When we speak hurtfully - to their face or behind their back. When we look at a man or woman with lust in our heart. When we store bitterness in our heart. Actually, the internal Holy Spirit sirens go off whenever we step out of the Light and into the darkness. I'm wise to wake up right away and get to where it's safe. Doing what God blesses instead of what He judges.
Oh, you can disregard the warning - so many times that you barely hear it anymore. But God warns us to "quench not the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). You can ignore the alarm, but you can't stop the storm.
So when I've stepped into the path of danger, God's alarm goes off inside me. To warn me to get to safety - which means running from the wrong and back to God's way.