Do you live anywhere near railroad tracks? I didn’t until my adult life, but now it’s not uncommon for me to hear a train whistle blowing multiple times a day. A train’s whistle announces the approaching train to all who are within earshot.
I can hear the whistle blowing in various parts of the city; however, it is only when I’m close to where tracks cross over the road that I experience the triple warning:
- the train whistle blowing
- the crossing bars coming down
- the crossing bells ringing with lights blinking
The United States Railroad system has experienced enough tragedy from trains colliding with people and/or vehicles to want to avoid it at all costs.
They’ve gone to great lengths to send multiple warnings of an approaching train so there is no issue. If a person is paying attention at all they will recognize the signs of an approaching train and take steps to avoid it.
The same is true in life.
If we’re honest, we can almost always detect a warning of some sort just before we find ourselves in a mess.
It may be something someone says to us, a check in our spirit (some like to call this a sixth sense or a feeling in their gut), or it may be the way circumstances are unfolding. No matter what you call it, it is the Lord trying to wake us up to approaching trouble and provide us with a way out [1 Corinthians 10:13].
Whether we pay attention to the warning signs or not is up to us. Proverbs 27:12 says,
The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”
We need to look past the end of our noses to what is coming down the path our way so we can avoid trouble when possible. One of the easiest ways of doing this is sitting with Jesus each day. When we sit at His feet, we get the inside track (pun intended). It’s how we can look down the tracks and get an idea of what may or may not be heading our way; by seeking the counsel of One who knows what’s coming. He reminds us this much in Proverbs 3:5-6,
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
It’s a dangerous world out there [John 10:10, John 16:33]. We need to prepared. By doing so we can beware and make our journey with the least amount of detours and delays possible.
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