Sign in the Front of a Fire Station

By D. Gibson

Do Not Wait Until A Fire Starts To Plan Your Way Of Escape

I’m sure that all of us have thought long and seriously about the safety of our family should a fire occur in our home. It would be an unthinkable disaster, not only for the lives of loved ones but our home and the possessions acquired over a lifetime.

We’ve all bought fire detectors and placed them strategically according to articles we have read, advice from well informed sources, and the instructions on the box. Also, in most homes you will find one or more fire extinguishers. We buy fire insurance to help lighten the financial recovery. Our children are all instructed as to what action to take in case of emergency; dialling 911 and of course alternate exits This tragedy will probably never happen, but the wise are prepared in a crisis.

But there is a fire that is not a threat, it is a promise. It will consume our home, the city we live in, the planet we live on, and the entire universe. There will be no fire detector to give us that last minute warning. There will be no fire station to answer our 911 call and no amount of water to put out the flame. We are told, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Pet. 3:10). The element with the highest melting point is Tungsten at 6116° F. It does not boil until over 8500 degrees. It is used principally for the filaments in incandescent lamps and spark plugs. We can conclude that this is the minimal temperature that this great consuming fire will produce. But, there will be no device to measure the data.

However, we can be prepared. There are things we can do now that will save us in that last day. Yes, we will lose our earthly possessions, except for those treasures layed up in store safely tucked away in that fire-proof strongbox in heaven (Matt. 6:20-22). All necessary instructions have been recorded in a book that is widely distributed among the wise. It has always been the #1 best seller and readily available.

How strange that so many are prepared for a fire that will, by all odds, never come and so few are ready for the “big one” that will most certainly come and without warning today, tomorrow, next week, next year — do not wait until the fire starts to plan your way of escape!