Week 25: June 15-21, 2025 - Disaster Prevention 101

This week’s daily readings:

June 15-21, 2025

This week’s devotional:

Disaster Prevention 101

by Nicholas Ambrose

Scripture:

Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;
    so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. 

— Proverbs 17:14 (NIV) 

Reflection:

On March 12th of 1928, near Los Angeles, California, the San Francisquito (or St. Francis) Dam catastrophically collapsed after several months of structural deterioration. The breached dam sent 12.4 billion gallons of water rushing down the San Francisquito Canyon into places where people lived, and the water rose to 140 feet in some places! After all the rushing water was done flowing and the tragedy was over, 385 souls had perished on that cool night in March. 

The story of the St. Francis Dam disaster serves as a warning for anyone responsible for looking after dams. Even more importantly, it’s a warning to those who find themself in a hostile social situation. This verse in Proverbs shows just how powerful a dispute can become. Quarrels have the power to destroy our relationships. They lead to words that need not be said and they cause bitterness, pain, and regret. If you find yourself in a situation or a conversation where tensions and frustrations are high, it’s important that the matter you are facing be dealt with in a peaceable way. The lesson learned from this verse: drop the dispute before it turns into a catastrophic situation, just like a breached dam.

Prayer: 

Dear Heavenly Father, you have given your word for our benefit and for your glory. Help us to be peacemakers in tense and angry situations, that we may be able to drop those matters before they turn into disputes, and in turn become rushing waters of destruction. We thank you for your wise word which gives us wisdom for our daily lives, and we pray that we would apply this to everyday life. Amen