Danger Ahead
Over the years, Southwest Airlines has had a number of humorous commercials that ask the question, "Do you need to get away?" If you were to hit the travel road, where would you go? While most of us have a desired destination, a place where we have always dreamed of going, there are some places that we should be wary of visiting. The number one place in the "Ten Most Dangerous Cities in the World" list is Baghdad, Iraq. Or, if you are interested in visiting a city that had over 8,000 murders last year, travel to the exotic city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Maybe you are not into travel and tourism. Let's consider your job. The insurance industry has a list of the ten most dangerous jobs in America. At number 1 is a commercial fisherman. The fatality rate for this job is 200 in 100,000. Number 2 on the list is a logger. This job has a fatality rate of 61.8 out of 100,000. Airplane pilots are number 3 at 57 out of 100,000, and surprisingly, at number 4 is the job of a farmer. The fatality rate for farmers is 35.8 out of 100,000.
How about one more shocker? At the top of the most dangerous pets for children are turtles. It is not because they bite or even because small turtles might be a choking hazard for small children. Baby turtles require a moist environment to survive, and they can be breeding grounds for Salmonella. Children pick up the baby turtles and very easily put their hands or fingers in their mouths. This is a very dangerous combination.
The Bible speaks of dangerous situations. One particular danger that many people do not pay attention to is hearing or reading God's word and not responding to what God says. Consider Hebrews 3:12-19>> ”See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. 15 As has just been said: 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.' 16 Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” (NIV) God warns us of the danger of not listening to or heeding His instructions.
Many people know the story of God rescuing the Israelites and leading them out of their Egyptian slavery. Most do not know that nearly everyone who was part of that exodus died in the wilderness and never went into "The Promised Land." What was their fault? What danger did they fall prey to? They ignored God. They lived however they wanted to and disobeyed God's clear instructions. The writer of Hebrews warns us today. God's word is given for our good. God loves all people, but the problem is that people continue to live in sin. While God offers grace, mercy, and salvation to everyone, not everyone will respond to God's generous offer. The Bible is clear when it says that salvation is found only when we follow Jesus. What will you choose to do? There is danger ahead—choose wisely and keep looking up!