Sunday morning we prayed for the folks in New Orleans and surrounding areas that were targeted by a very threatening Hurricane Gustav. Not that long ago a team from our church returned from helping the ongoing rebuilding efforts in the infamous Ninth Ward that was devastated after Katrina three years ago. Just a couple of weeks after Katrina another team from our church had been on the scene doing what they could to help. Those types of effort result in relationships that put names and faces on challenging times like these.
As I write these words Monday night, it is now apparent that while Gustav was a major hurricane and brought great destruction to property along the Gulf Coast, it was no Katrina. There have been no confirmed deaths reported at this time and New Orleans is still standing. For this we are all very thankful. It will take some time and effort for life to get back to normal, but most agree it could have been much, much worse.
One interesting aspect of this was the amazing evacuation of 95% of the population of New Orleans, the largest such evacuation in our history. Evidently the horrific memories of Katrina, only three-years-old, did a great deal to motivate people to take this storm seriously. Local, state and federal governments worked together in an admirable way and it would appear that their hard work and planning paid off.
I’m sure there will be some who will accuse leadership of “crying wolf,” but that brings to mind one of several old adages that apply — better safe than sorry. I’m sure most reasonable people, though, will understand that officials did the right thing in getting as many people out of the way of this storm as possible.
How do we apply this truth to life? Are we as wise of government officials in their preparation for this storm? In our recent study of Haggai we saw several times that God reminded his people to prepare for judgment to come. This is a common theme in scripture. Here’s some questions I’m asking myself. Maybe you’d like to join me to see if you really believe that it’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Does the way I save money reflect good planning and preparation for the future?
- Would I be prepared to simply walk away from my home in the event of an evacuation like this receont one in New Orleans? Have I thought through my priorities and planning?
- Am I laying up treasure in Heaven?
- Am I prepared for the Second Coming of Christ whenever that may be?
- Am I prepared for the future by my continued growth in Christ and the knowledge of his word?
Better Safe Than Sorry
As I write these words Monday night, it is now apparent that while Gustav was a major hurricane and brought great destruction to property along the Gulf Coast, it was no Katrina. There have been no confirmed deaths reported at this time and New Orleans is still standing. For this we are all very thankful. It will take some time and effort for life to get back to normal, but most agree it could have been much, much worse.
One interesting aspect of this was the amazing evacuation of 95% of the population of New Orleans, the largest such evacuation in our history. Evidently the horrific memories of Katrina, only three-years-old, did a great deal to motivate people to take this storm seriously. Local, state and federal governments worked together in an admirable way and it would appear that their hard work and planning paid off.
I’m sure there will be some who will accuse leadership of “crying wolf,” but that brings to mind one of several old adages that apply — better safe than sorry. I’m sure most reasonable people, though, will understand that officials did the right thing in getting as many people out of the way of this storm as possible.
How do we apply this truth to life? Are we as wise of government officials in their preparation for this storm? In our recent study of Haggai we saw several times that God reminded his people to prepare for judgment to come. This is a common theme in scripture. Here’s some questions I’m asking myself. Maybe you’d like to join me to see if you really believe that it’s better to be safe than sorry.