History is a great teacher. Today is a good example. It was the morning of December 7,1941 that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, resulting in the deaths of nearly 2,500. This was a shock to our nation and as President Franklin Roosevelt said, “a date which will live in infamy.”
Many volumes have been written about this awful tragedy providing much material for thought and discussion. But, to me, the one thing that stands out is this–warnings are important. As Dr. Paul Chappell put it–“The day of infamy should be our reminder to always heed warning.”
I’m not a historian and I’m not going to deal with specific examples, but I will remind you that much has been written about warnings of the attack, yet no one took heed. You could say this serves as a commentary on the history of man. Going all the way back to the Garden of Eden we see examples of man ignoring God’s warnings, and the results are not a pretty picture.
As I think about this I am reminded of Jeremiah 6:10,”To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.” The result of this was many long years of bondage and the loss of many lives, all because Israel refused to heed God’s warnings. Now, many years later, we are traveling down the same perilous path enroute to destruction and few seem to know or care.
Much more could be said about this in regards to our nation, but I want to make this personal. As Christians we have an enemy who is intent on destroying us. Satan isn’t playing games. His plan is to deceive and destroy as many people as possible, and the Bible warns us repeatedly. The sad thing is that few people listen and take heed to what God says. Instead of obeying His commands and heeding His warnings they plunge head-long into the cess-pool of sin.That robs them of God’s blessings and ruins their lives. It doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t have to be that way, yet in spite of the many examples we keep repeating history. Like the prodigal son, folks think they can find satisfaction apart from God. The wise return, the fools refuse. The results of both are predictable–a blessing or a curse. The choice is yours.
Some of you reading this are living in rebellion against God’s will and you know it, as do others. Love ones have tried to warn you and Bible verses come to your mind that condemns you, but you turn a deaf ear to the warnings. God has been gentle, patient, and kind–nothing bad has happened so far, but please don’t presume on God’s mercy. We reap what we sow and harvest day is sure. It’s just a matter of time before you cross the boundary between God’s mercy and His wrath. Don’t ignore the warnings. Think about it!
