Heed The Warnings Of GodSpeaker: Dr. D.G.S. Dhinakaran Gist: When disaster is imminent, God would have warned you by some means. But you might not have heeded Him. When you ask the Lord to give you a heart to realise the significance of His warning, He will keep our eyes open and protected you from danger. The expatriated apostle Paul was on a ship journey with the Centurion; God showed him that the ship was to meet a disaster. Though Paul warned the centurion about it, he ignored Paul's warning as he 'was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by Paul' (Verse 11). Finally as God had shown to Paul, the ship got wrecked.
All of us are aware of the history of the drowned luxury ship 'Titanic'. It has become a part of history. When it was moving fast, a huge iceberg appeared in front of it ominously. The officer's in the bow, the front part of the ship saw it and phoned up the captain of the ship. One officer told the captain, "Sir, the ship is moving towards a huge iceberg. Please turn the direction of the ship. But the captain was involved in some less serious work and therefore did not take up the receiver immediately. Because of this delay, the ship smashed into the iceberg and hundreds of passengers met their watery grave.
Friend, in our journey of life too, when disaster is imminent, God would have warned us by some means. But we, with blind eyes, would not have heeded His warning. So, let us pray, "O, Lord, whenever You warn me of the approaching crisis, give me a heart to realise the significance of Your warning given implicitly or explicitly". St. Paul laments, in a different context, that the Holy Spirit who warned him and others through him about the fate of the ship did not reveal what was going to happen in his personal life, in the following verse:
"And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there." (Acts 20:22)
Yes, the last remnants of his ministry and life occurred only in Jerusalem. But yet God did not give him a definite revelation about it.
On 21st May 1986, only after our regular morning prayer, we started in our car, with our daughter Angel to the airport with a view to go to Bangalore. Alas! Our car met with a fatal accident and our beloved daughter died pathetically. Our hearts were shattered to pieces. I lament even today, 'If God had shown me the impending catastrophe, we would have driven the car more carefully and the calamity would not have happened. My daughter would not have met her death."
"In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find nothing that will happen after him." (Ecclesiastes 7:14)
Dear friend, true to this verse, let us plead at the feet of God saying, "O Lord, as St. Paul's eyes were open at one time and closed at another, let not my eyes be opened and closed alternately. As Your eyes are always open and are constantly watching the hearts of all, keep my eyes always open to avoid impending disasters." He will keep our eyes open always and help us to be protected from danger.
Prayer:
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Your mighty arm is a protecting arm, embracing arm, and guiding arm. When dangers are approaching my life, help not to be negligent but heed to your warning and to do exactly what You command me. Grant me Your grace that Your mighty protecting hand will lead me all the days of my life. Protect me from all dangers. In Jesus' mighty name, I pray.
Amen. |