Do what is good and run from evil.
—Amos 5:14
When Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, on August 26, 2017, officials ordered mandatory evacuation. Residents who refused to leave were asked by the mayor to write their name and Social Security number on their arm with a Sharpie, so first-responders could identify those who didn’t survive.
Meteorologists and government brass keep a sharp eye on the weather. When it turns treacherous, they issue warnings: advising to shelter in place or evacuate.
God warns us to avoid spiritual storms and to evacuate when we see one coming. “Don’t do as the wicked do. Avoid their haunts—turn away, go somewhere else” (Prv. 4:14–15). “Abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul” (1 Pt 2:11). “Run from evil” (Amos 5:14).
Don’t try to ride out a storm. Get as far away from it as possible as quickly as possible.
If you negotiate with sin, sin wins.