On this day in 1775 Paul Revere went on his famous ride.

A flashing red light. A loud siren. The needle nearing empty on the gas gauge. A “severe weather” bulletin interrupting a TV show. Yellow caution signs on the highway.

Every day signals and signs alert us to watch out and take caution. Sometimes these warnings can be irritating because they interrupt us or slow us down, but we know they’re important.

On this day in 1775, Paul Revere made his famous revolutionary ride. “The British are coming! The British are coming!” he shouted, warning fellow citizens about the oncoming army.

We need warnings. Without them we could rush headlong into trouble. And we’re wise if we heed them. We may have to stop what we’re doing, turn around, and go in another direction.

The Bible gives many warnings—statements beginning with words like, “Watch out,” or “Be careful.” God wants people to know what can hurt them, and he wants them to travel in the right direction.

Today’s verse says to “warn each other.” In other words, in addition to reading and believing the Bible for ourselves, we should pass on God’s warnings to others. This verse also implies that we should encourage fellow believers to live the right way.

Do you know someone who needs to hear God’s warnings? Perhaps a friend is about to do something wrong that will only lead to trouble and pain. Or maybe you know someone who is being led astray. How can you warn against these harmful actions and guide toward right ones?

What can you do to tell people the good news about following Christ and warn them of the bad news about living without him?

You must warn each other every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God (Hebrews 3:13).

To Do

Ask God to give you the opportunity to give a friend or two his warning. Then do it when the opportunity arises.

Also on this day . . .

This is National Animal Crackers Day.

1906—A huge earthquake and fire hit San Francisco.

1949—The Republic of Ireland was established.

1950—The first transatlantic jet passenger trip was completed.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.