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“Often we miss the alarms sounding in our lives because we’re not sensitive to them.”

A thought by Kyle Idleman (2014-03-01) from his book, AHA: The God Moment ThatChanges Everything (p. 34). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Kyle says, “In Scripture there are a number of examples of how God sounds the alarm. Oftentimes the alarm sounds early on to wake us up before things have fallen apart. Sometimes people think they have to hit rock bottom before they come to their senses, but what if God is trying to wake you up right now to save you from heartbreak in the Distant Country later?”  To Kyle the Distant Country is when you are far away from God and you can't hear Him.

He goes on, “Second Chronicles 36: 15 speaks of how God sounds the alarm to warn His people: ‘And the LORD God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them …’ (NKJV). The expression rising up early doesn’t mean God got out of bed early. Rather, it is best understood as ‘taking action early.’ In this context, it means He sounded the alarm as quickly as the problems were perceived. And then we read why He warned: ‘… because He had compassion on His people …’”

He then says, “This is yet another way that God is a loving Father. The moment a parent perceives their child to be in danger, they warn the child of the coming consequences.”

Kyle says, “A few years ago my family visited my parents’ house for the holidays. They live on a quiet cul-de-sac where cars rarely come down the street. One day my then-four-year-old son, Kael, was riding his Big Wheel down the driveway. I stepped outside and saw a car coming down the street pretty fast. Kael needed to be warned that the car was coming. I didn’t think, I’ve got a good thirty seconds before that car makes contact with my son. That’s enough time to check my texts before I say something. I didn’t smile and say, ‘Hey, buddy, there’s a Ford SUV coming right for you. You might want to think about slowing down.’ With a sense of urgency, I yelled, ‘Kael, stop right now!’ As soon as I perceived the danger, I warned him. That’s what a loving father does.”

And that is what God the Father wants to do in our lives


So are you close enough to God to hear his alarms?

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