Pages of Joy // John Greco

Read Luke 13:1–5.

Late last fall, my wife and were awakened by our emergency weather band radio. There was a chance of severe storms rolling through our part of Middle Tennessee that night, so I had pulled out that old radio, replaced the batteries, and set it to wake us up should there be a severe weather alert.

From two-thirty until four, we followed the storm’s path using a local weather service. We listened intently as new tornado warnings and watches were issued. We grabbed shoes for every member of the family and helmets for the little ones, and set them aside in our designated shelter space—the only room without windows, our laundry room. Thankfully, we never had to wake up our boys. The worst of the storm passed to the north of us.

The next morning, however, I read about the devastation that the tornadoes brought to other communities in the region. Dozens of people died, and many more homes and businesses were destroyed. I prayed for those who suffered loss, and I thanked God for keeping my family safe. I also wondered why we were spared such devastation.

In Luke 13, Jesus addressed my concerns head on. He said that disasters don’t befall certain people because they are somehow worse sinners than the rest of us. Instead, they are the result of living in a fallen world. But they do have a lesson to teach us. Jesus told the people, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish” (v. 5).

Let us remember that none of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation, a day to draw near to our Maker. Let’s never take it for granted.