Ready and Prepared

There are many instances of guidance in the Bible about preparedness. We are to prepare for our human death and our entry into spiritual life. We are also to live our daily lives preparing for all our human tomorrows. Like in the ant and the grasshopper fable, I think we would be prudent to store (not hoard) some food to get through any coming harsh season. While I am not suggesting that there will be a food shortage (because we don’t know!) or if there will be transportation issues or the dollar (currency) loses value and we can’t afford food, there could be some instances of shortages.

With the pandemic that is covering our planet and a volatile presidential election, we could have a harsh season coming. What we don’t know is if this is a just a horrible disease covering the earth (and political posturing) or if we are seeing signs that Jesus is soon to return to claim God’s people. We don’t know if a war is in our future and our governmental system will radically change. In any case, we are to be prepared. Turn to God. Work. Plant. Store. Prepare.

Regarding wisdom on the human issue of preparing, read these:

• · Those who work their land will have abundant food but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty. Proverbs 28:19

• · The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down. Proverbs 21:20

• · Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1Timothy 5:8

• · For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10

• · Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4

• · 6 Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8 Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8

• · Famine: 53-54 Then Egypt’s seven good years came to an end and the seven years of famine arrived, just as Joseph had said. All countries experienced famine; Egypt was the only country that had bread. Genesis 41:54

• · 32-37 “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. So keep a sharp lookout, for you don’t know the timetable. It’s like a man who takes a trip, leaving home and putting his servants in charge, each assigned a task, and commanding the gatekeeper to stand watch. So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning. You don’t want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. I say it to you, and I’m saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch.” Mark 13:33-37

Who am I that I am sharing this message? I am no prophet. I am no Bible scholar. I am not a wise person who knows or understands all about the Bible. I read and study some (not nearly enough) and reach conclusions. I pray that these are divinely given conclusions. I have to look for repetition and other evidences to convince myself that this is a correct interpretation. I know that the preparedness in these verses indicates preparedness for the spirit, in addition to preparedness to combat physical hunger.

In Genesis 41, Joseph interpreted a dream and foresaw some very harsh years coming, bringing severe food shortages and great trouble. He set up a system for the whole country to store essential foods for those coming years. All saved one-fifth of their harvests and these were held in reserve for those hard times. We don’t have all the details of the system but we can assume that there was one.

There isn’t a Joseph right now to prophesize what our future will bring. But, there are indicators that trouble is possible on the horizon. This is common sense, or simply applying lessons learned. We have seen that in times of crisis, we have trouble getting toilet paper. When a hurricane is on the way, people on the coast will empty the shelves of bread and water. We set up a system, a plan, to get through the after math of a storm.

A second look at what Joseph did will show that his system had families retaining 80% of their food production for daily living. He didn’t set out to hoard all that they could get their hands on. What he did was set up a system that, over a period of time, would provide for hard times coming. We don’t know what hard times will be, or if they will be, but we can prepare right now to cover at least seasonal or short-term shortages. To cover the storms we could face, not in a panic/anxiety mode but in small moves, we can begin to prepare to cover transportation delays, economic changes with job losses or cutbacks, tax changes and crop failures.

Saying all this, I will say this. I don’t know why this country is in such trouble. I don’t think anyone can know for sure why this trouble is here. We do know that this a global trouble. All I really know is that we have to follow what we can learn from our textbook, the Holy Bible, and live as close to the guidelines as we are able with the knowledge we have.

There is TRUTH in the one Bible from the one and only God and our Savior. Right now, the truth that keeps sounding within me seems to me to be imperative is that we prepare for a harsh season and gather food for these times. I don’t think we need to fill our store rooms with a lifetime of food but enough to cover intermittent shortages. A bag of dried beans, a couple of cans of vegetables, fruit and canned meat added to weekly shopping may give preparedness and seems prudent while within the budget of many at this time. Hoarding is not what I am suggesting! Emptying the shelves is NOT what I am suggesting nor stocking in enough non-perishable foods to carry a family for months and months, but some preparation for a short season may be indicated.

Pray about it! Research being prepared on BibleGateway or whatever research tool you prefer. Don’t take my word for it but find direction in the Bible and listen to God’s teachings.

Others also have also commented on preparedness so I am not alone in these thoughts. (https://aminutetomidnite.com/survival-and-prepping/preparedness-what-does-the-bible-say-about-being-prepared/) (http://josephspantry.com/)