Are you looking down the road?

Looking down the road is a good idea. Taken literally, it makes you a safer driver. Using the phrase "looking down the road" as a metaphor for having vision and foresight can help you anticipate dangers and avoid other kinds of accidents and problems. It can also make you a better employee, a better parent, a better student—and a better Christian.

A good driver is constantly scanning the road ahead and reading the signs along the highway for instructions. Are the lanes or speed limits changing, is there road construction or a deer crossing coming up, is the bridge out, or is there an accident ahead? Seeing these signs in advance is important.

Sometimes road signs are confusing. Roads often have more than one name or route number. Even devices that use the Global Positioning System (GPS) aren't always accurate, as my wife and I found out on a trip not long ago. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I still like having my road atlas handy, as a reference.

Businesses survive when they properly gather and analyze data and the latest trends affecting their industry. Businesses fail when they don't "look down the road" to anticipate changes and adjust to market forces. An alert employee may see trouble looming, which can save the company thousands of dollars.

We can all get weather forecasts to alert us when there are storms coming that may affect our travel or event plans. The three, five, and seven-day weather forecasts are usually subject to revisions, but they do a very fine job of predicting the weather conditions for the next 24 hours. It's nice to know if it's going to freeze so we can cover tender plants. It's good to know if a tornado or hurricane is coming so we can seek safety for our family. It's helpful to know if a severe winter storm is approaching so we can prepare.

History records many examples of those who saw warning signs and heeded them. These individuals took appropriate steps and were often hailed as heroes. Winston Churchill is an example of one who had the vision and perception to help ensure that Britain survived the Second World War. Some have belittled those who did have vision by criticizing or mocking their warnings until it was too late.

History also records those who failed to see or heed the signs, and they are remembered as those who were lost, defeated, or destroyed.

In the book of Proverbs, it says, "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished" (Proverbs 22:3). That's great advice! A wise person will look down the road, foresee danger, and anticipate trouble. He can then take steps to avoid those troubles and save himself and others from having to suffer consequences.

Christ's disciples asked Him what would be the signs of His coming and of the end of the age (Matthew 24:3). That is certainly worth knowing! Christ broadly answered their question in the succeeding verses. At first glance, His answer can seem kind of vague. Christ spoke of religious deception, wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. You might think to yourself, "That's been going on for centuries. How does that help me?" But there is more there than meets the eye. And Christ also provided additional information to the apostles in the years following, as recorded in various epistles and especially in the prophetic book of Revelation. It is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place" (Revelation 1:1).

If you want to look down the road and better understand the prophesied signs of Christ's coming, order your free copies of Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ's Return, and Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled! today!