Today sirens went off and kids were let out of school early in Muscle Shoals due to the potential for tornadic activity. Everyone tuned in on their weather radios and watched weather reports either on TV or as a live stream on the internet. One website I watched to keep an eye on what was coming my way can be found by clicking here.
I don’t think there is anything in the south that gets everyone’s attention as quickly as the possibility of a tornado. We’ve all seen pictures of the devistation so often that when a warning is issued, we take notice and act accordingly.
But there I noticed something today as it all was taking place. Our technology has advanced such that wind rotation and the projected path can lull us into a sense of false security. It’s called Pinpoint Dopler Radar (PDR).
PDR can show wind rotation in a storm and then project the path it is most likely to take. As I watched the PDR on the live feed from the internet, I determined that the storm was not headed for Muscle Shaols but rather north of here… so I didn’t take cover even though my county was under a tornado warning.
That is both a blessing and a bane. Tornadoes can pop up anywhere and anytime in a line of severe thunderstorms. But even though that is the case, I feel safe if the PDR projects the path of storm rotation is away from me. That means I could be making a serious mistake by not taking cover because there is the possiblity an unforeseen tornado could pop up unexpectedly.
We tend to think “It won’t happen to me.” We tend to take chances when we should be ducking for cover. We tend to think we are invincable and immune to tragedy… until it happens. Plus, it’s difficult to stay on high alert all the time. Eventually we let our guard down.
That is even true of Christians in regard to the return of Christ. Jesus said that we are to watch and be ready always for his return. But we’ve lived a long time and it hasn’t happened… yet. So we let our guard down.
Jesus said that when he returned it would be like it was in the days of Noah. Peole were living life as normal until the flood came and washed them away. This is found in Matthew 24:37-42.
The Scripture tells us that the return of Christ is different from tornado warnings. While there are signs Jesus’ return is near, the actual return will happen so quickly no one will have time to act or react. In fact, as I read the Scripture, the surest sign of Jesus return is HE RETURNS.
My reason for writing this is for all Christians to be reminded that… 1) Jesus IS coming back. 2) We don’t know when it will be. 3) When he returns, many will mourn. 4) As best we can, let’s always be watching because one day it WILL happen!
Are you ready? Are you watching?