The devastating tsunamis that struck the nations around the Indian Ocean resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Fifteen feet high waves flooded towns and villages on Sri Lanka's southern, eastern, and northern coasts. Though the death toll is stunning, wildfire officials in Sri Lanka say they are surprised by another statistic. Though thousands of human bodies have been found, searchers have not found many dead animals.

Giant waves washed floodwaters as much as two miles inland at the Yala National Park, Sri Lanka's largest wildlife reserve, which is home to hundreds of wild elephants and several leopards. Deputy Director of the national Wildlife Department H.D. Ratnayake said, "The strange thing is we haven't recorded any dead animals. No elephants are dead, not even a dead hare or rabbit."He added, "I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening."

—Reuters, Where Are all the Dead Animals?, December 29, 2004. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Ezekiel 33:6 (NASB)"But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand."

On December 26, 2004 the largest earthquake recorded in the world in forty years occurred in the ocean off the coast of Sumatra. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks generated tsunamis that killed over fifty thousand people in Asia.

Scientists say the waves generated by the earthquake reached as high as thirty feet and traveled as fast as 500 miles an hour. In all, the destructive waves covered 3,000 miles striking Indonesia, India, Thailand, and even the coast of Africa. The quake was so strong that the head of Italy's National Geophysics Institute, Enzo Boschi said the entire planet was vibrating afterwards and that the quake had disturbed the planet's rotation.

The saddest part of the story was an observation by an official from the United States Geological Survey. The unnamed official said, the loss of life might have been greatly reduced or prevented if a warning system for tsunamis had been in place. He said not one of the countries affected had a tsunami warning system to alert people because they are very rare in the Indian Ocean.

—www.foxnews.com, Thousands dead after Tsunamis in Southeast Asia, December 26, 2004. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

If we know people around us are in danger, it is our responsibility to alert them.

Ezekiel 33:6 (NASB) "But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand."

Patricia Greenlee's son is a state trooper in West Virginia who recently gave a woman a ticket for going 15 miles over the speed limit. After handing her the ticket, she asked, "Don't you give out warnings?" "Yes ma'am," was his reply, "They're all up and down the road. They say, 'Speed Limit 55.'"

1 Peter 5:8 (NASB) "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

A Connecticut man was so busy listening to music on his iPod that he did not notice his house was on fire. Andrew Riley told fire officials he didn’t smell smoke or hear the smoke alarm going off. He was so engrossed in the music he was unaware of the fire on the upper floor of his home until the alarm company called to tell him about the danger.

A fire marshal determined an electrical malfunction caused the fire. He said the situation could have been much worse but when he received the warning, Riley ran upstairs and closed a door to contain the fire.

--Alarm Company: Um, sir? Your House is on fire, http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990227023; February 27, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Matthew 11:15 CEV “If you have ears, pay attention!”

WARNING

A gas station in Germany charged $14 per liter of gasoline in order to discourage customers from filling up their tanks. The nationwide shortage influenced Esso gas station near Stuttport to take these measures. Unsuspecting motorists proceeded to fill up their tanks despite the obvious warnings posted on the pumps. One stunned driver ended up paying $294.

--News.com.au- http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/world/german-gas-station-charges-14-a-litre-to-deter-customers/story-e6frfkui-1226045243421 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Miguel Martinez

Matthew 7:24-27 (CEV) (24) Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. (25) Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock. (26) Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn't obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand. (27) The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a crash.

WARNING

A six-year-old boy who listened to the warning siren and insisted that his family get to a safe place probably saved their lives. Six-year-old Brevin Hunter was playing a game on his entertainment console, when he heard the warning siren go off. He immediately told his mother that they should go to the basement. His mother heard the warning too, but the skies looked calm, so she thought it was a drill, or maybe a mistake. Brevin insisted, so the family of three grabbed a futon and went to the basement. Minutes later a tornado destroyed their duplex, but the family was safe. Several people who heard the story later said they were certain Brevin’s actions saved his family. When asked about his heroic actions, the young man said, “It was not so hard.” When asked about any regrets, Brevin said he wished he had saved the progress in his video game before leaving. He added, “Now I have to start over.”—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Boy, 6, urged family to head to safety, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-washington-tornado-they-are-alive-today-because-of-that-boy-20131118,0,4933168.story, Accessed November 18, 2013.

Isaiah 11:16 (NASB) And there will be a highway from Assyria For the remnant of His people who will be left, Just as there was for Israel In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.