Prepare … But for What?

I don’t know about you, but I hear the word “prepare” from not just the conspiracy theorists in bunkers out there, but also from the national main-stream media. News of rolling energy blackouts, food shortages, and record inflation are hitting the airways, and I find myself browsing freeze-dried foods and solar-powered lights on Amazon.

But after two years of Covid propaganda, I’m not sure what to believe anymore. Sure, I am experiencing the squeeze of inflated gas prices and foods, and I sense our already fragile economy is in trouble. But after media hype and the so-called health experts getting 99% of the facts wrong about Covid, it’s hard to buy what the political powers at hand are selling.

And yet.

When I turn to the Word for clarity, the call to be prepared is clear. The following “prepared” verses are just a few among many, but these treasures pack a powerful punch.

Luke 12:35-38 – Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit. Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

1 Corinthians 16:13 –  Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

1 Peter 3:15 – But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect …”

While these calls to readiness, I believe, are focused on our spiritual preparedness for all seasons, there is biblical merit to having our affairs in order and our courage intact.

The story of faithful Noah (Genesis 5:32 – 10:1) is an excellent example of resource preparedness for hard times. God instructs Noah to build a boat for a coming worldwide flood. The Lord also commands Noah to load the boat with supplies to sustain both his family and the animal kingdom (Genesis 6:21). Noah, obedient to God, prepared for the world’s biggest natural disaster to date. There are a myriad of ways the Lord could have destroyed the evilness in the world and placed righteous Noah in the position to repopulate. But for reasons we don’t completely understand yet, God wanted Noah demonstrating faith as he built the world’s first mega ship.

Joseph’s preparation for a time of great famine is another example of stewarding resources for future calamity. A man of God, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of the seven good and seven hard years. He advised Pharaoh to store a fifth (20%) of the crops in the first seven abundant years. Because of this, Egypt survived the seven years of famine. Through this preparation, Joseph gained royalty and was reunited with his blood family. God used the famine and Joseph’s stored foods to further His purposes for the Jewish people.

There are at least a half-dozen Proverbs instructing the wise to be prudent and prepared, as well.

People and Their Points

Working in full-time ministry for more than twenty-five years, I’ve encountered Christians who are hard-core preppers with an army-sized ammo stock. I have also met Christians who shrug off the calls to beef up their battery inventories claiming God will provide.

I’m going to try and take a balanced approach to prepping, neither building bunkers nor sticking my head in the sand. And God’s glory—the reason we exist—is the reason why (Isaiah 43:7; Romans 11:36).

Here’s my take on bringing God glory by not only trusting His promises to provide, but also by demonstrating belief in His prophecies of hard times.

• The Lord tells His children what is going to happen (Isaiah 46:10). Preparing is a physical demonstration of our belief in His Word.
• Exhibiting a calm spirit shows the world our God is faithful. (Isaiah 43:2; 2 Timothy 1:7) Preparedness allows us to be ready in our spiritual boats when the floods come.
• Our God tells us to be ready to give an answer for our Hope (1 Peter 3:15). If we’re in a panicked rush to find food, water, or shelter, we’ll blend in with the world. We must exhibit hopeful confidence so people will see our Hope and inquire of it.
• We are commanded to share (Hebrews 13:16; Proverbs 19:17; Luke 6:38). If we are without the resources to meet other’s physical needs in a time of crisis, we miss the opportunity to be generous.

What’s Next

I encourage everyone to pray, read the Word (Matthew 24; Acts 2:17; 2 Peter 3:3; 2 Timothy 3:1), and pray some more. Seek the counsel of God when it comes to preparedness and your specific role(s) in these interesting times. Be watchful, alert, and expecting to see God at work as the enemy seeks dominion.

And keep building the kingdom. Having served in Crisis Pregnancy ministry for several years, I learned that when people face uncertainties, they are ripe for change. Many times I had the opportunity to lead a young woman in crisis to the Lord. It will be no different during food and energy shortages. God will use the horrors of the world to bring in His sheep. We must be prepared, ready at any given moment to share the Gospel, the Hope of Christ.

A Note of Advice

While living in the Congolese Rain Forest in Africa, we were trained to be prepared for political crisis and/or natural disasters. Taught how to survive in the jungle, evacuation could happen at any time. Preparedness also meant keeping a contingency box packed with water filters and three-days of food, medicines, and clean clothes. Living in rough terrain under an unstable government, we had to be equipped for the unexpected. I’ve continued with contingency prepping over the years and believe that this is being prudent with the Lord’s resources. I suggest everyone have at least a three-day supply of basic needs on hand. Should disaster happen, seventy two hours of food and water gives opportunity for calm prayer and wise assessment. Having family live through the power outages in Texas a couple of winters ago confirmed my sense that we need to expect the unexpected.

We need to be the stable port in the storm; the refreshment for the weary. Spiritual and physical preparation is building that port–the lighthouse for those battling in the squall.

I’ll leave you to pray and ponder.

If I perish, I perish,

Laurie

Inspire courage–read L. G.’s latest fiction