Disaster Plan

I am so thankful for our first responders and how they are ready on a moment’s notice to come save someone from a fire or an accident. They are well trained and well organized so that when a plan is put in place, they can execute the plan with great precision and productivity. There are disasters that strike that spread the first responders pretty thin, because the disaster is so big. Disasters are unpredictable and that makes the preparation a bit tricky. These men and women who serve as our first responders are trained and prepared for a broad array of potential disasters. I was thinking of disasters like 9.11, a plane crash or a hurricane to name a few. I believe that those of us who are safe and secure should step up and help those who are in the middle of a disaster. I’m thankful to know several who do that as well.

Isaiah predicts the fall of Babylon. The Lord was frustrated with His people to the point He allowed Babylon to take over. Babylon really thought that they were “all that and a bag of chips”. They mistreated God’s people, even the elderly. God warns them of impending disaster and their way of handling it. Check this out….

¹¹ So disaster will overtake you,
    and you won’t be able to charm it away.
Calamity will fall upon you,
    and you won’t be able to buy your way out.
A catastrophe will strike you suddenly,
    one for which you are not prepared.

¹² “Now use your magical charms!
    Use the spells you have worked at all these years!
Maybe they will do you some good.
    Maybe they can make someone afraid of you.
¹³ All the advice you receive has made you tired.
    Where are all your astrologers,
those stargazers who make predictions each month?
    Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds.
¹⁴ But they are like straw burning in a fire;
    they cannot save themselves from the flame.
You will get no help from them at all;
    their hearth is no place to sit for warmth.(Isaiah 47:11-14 NLT)

I think disaster plans should have some common-sense elements to them for sure. I believe that first responders have to take necessary precautions to protect themselves before trying to rescue another. I am also a believer in prayer. I can pray for my rescue. I can pray for the rescue of others. I want the Presence of God in the middle of a disaster. I need His Presence when things are going smoothly and when life “comes off the rails”. I want to walk with the Lord no matter what comes my way. I want what He wants. I want this life to prepare me for the life after this – eternal life. He has made a way. He invites me to this journey all the time. I get to choose the path. I believe there is right way and a wrong way to handle disaster. Leaning in and trusting the Lord is the wise way to walk through it.

Pressing On!

Dwayne