Fire or False Alarm?

FIRE! FIRE! 

The word shrieked from the smoke detector right outside my bedroom door.

It was 2:45 a.m. but my eyes flew open at the sound. I fumbled for the light in my sleepy stupor.

Shaking, I stopped and tried to gain my bearings. I smelled nothing. I saw nothing. I slipped on the shoes next to my bed and headed out to the hallway.

The apartment is small and it took no time at all to check all around and confirm that there was in fact, no fire, even though the alarm continued it's high pitched beep and warning cry.

I grabbed the step stool in the kitchen so I could reach the alarm. I twisted it to the left, expecting to remove a fading 9 volt battery. Instead, I discovered this particular alarm was wired into the ceiling.

Now I was really confused. Was there a problem with the wiring? Did I need to be concerned about that? What on earth had set this thing off?

I had no idea, so I just screwed it back up into the ceiling and the noise stopped.

Even though I felt fairly confident it was a false alarm, I found it a little difficult to fall back to sleep.

Eventually, my heightened sense of impending doom was overcome by exhaustion and I fell back asleep.

God's Word is like that fire alarm.

It warns us that there is a time coming, and is even here now, when there will be persecution. And it tells us to be on alert for the return of our Savior.

Perhaps we hear a sermon that makes us sit up and take notice of our conduct. Or we see a film like War Room that brings our faltering prayer life into question. Or we read a blog post that makes us think twice about how we're running our day to day Christian race.

Whatever it is, the warning cry wakes us from our sleep and has us looking around to see what might be coming at us. We feel convicted, we become introspective, we vow to change.

But when no danger is readily seen, when the warning signs appear to be false alarms, we slowly sink back into our daily slumber, lowering our defenses, and making ourselves weaker in the process.

Don't let that happen one more time!

Hebrews 10:37 reminds us "For in just a very little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay."

And 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, 6 states: Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'Peace and safety' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled."

Friends, there's no failing battery - the wiring is in good working order.

The warnings are real and should be heeded.

Do not become lulled back into a deep sleep.

Be on alert. Watch and pray. He who is coming WILL come - and - will not delay. His timing is perfect.

Staying focused may be easier said than done, but that is my prayer for each of us today and every day until He comes again.

I'd love to pray for you in other ways too. Running this race is often difficult and we need to lift each other up in prayer.

Feel free to leave your requests in the comments below, or email me at lakesidelessons61@gmail.com.