The storms are coming.

Graduation ceremonies have been rescheduled to avoid dangerous winds, hail, and tornadoes.

Eldest Daughter has made it safely to her rental house, an hour and a half from home.

An hour and a half away from me.

I can see the radar in the Tennessee Valley area, and it doesn’t look good. A home video clip on Facebook shows a tornado in the vicinity. 

The tornado warning polygon and subsequent path of the storm appear to be taking direct aim at the community where the house is located.

But she is prepared. Her phone alerted her to the tornado warning. She has located an interior room on the lowest floor of the house. She is watching the weather and sees the approaching storms on the radar.

I am watching too. The line appears to have gone north, and then south, splitting around the house and surrounding neighborhood.

I breathe a little easier. She says she doesn’t hear thunder anymore.

The storms haven’t arrived in our area just yet, and the air has grown still. The leaves on the trees are only lightly rustling, as if practicing a warm up before the main event. 

If we had no radar, no weather forecast, no meteorologists, we might decide to turn off the TV and go to bed. On our own, we have little to no idea what’s coming, save for the predictions made by achy knees and other joints left stiff by old injuries.

If the storm hits, we would have no warning, and by then, it would be too late to take cover and perhaps save our lives.

Likewise, we are all inside a polygon of sorts, one that will be realized when our lives on Earth end:

Jesus said,

“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 12:36-37

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

2 Corinthians 5:10

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:11-15

God’s judgment will make an EF5 tornado seem like a gentle spring breeze.

But there is hope!

Jesus also said,

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

John 5:24

If God could be a meteorologist on your favorite station, would He cut in during regular programming to give a weather alert? I don’t know if that’s His style, but I’m pretty sure He appreciates weather and geologic events: 

“The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

I Kings 19:11-13

People, He’s already given the alerts and sounded the alarms. There’s nothing more to say. Scripture has it covered.

But he still speaks in gentle whispers. 

Listen for it. Listen for Him. Your soul will be stirred up like the leaves on a tree, with astonishment, hope, and tranquility, as the power of the Lord overwhelms you.

He wants to save you. He is your shelter and your salvation.

Go to the lowest point–on your knees in prayer, stripping away selfish desires, dying to yourself–and find a safe place inside God’s perfect saving grace. Give your life completely to Him, and you can rest assured that nothing in this world or outside of it will ever harm your soul.