In “Is Preparedness a Sin?” I have shared my opinion on questions that my wife and I, as well as some readers have come up with. I have also shared the answers that I have discerned after much thought, prayer and discussion.
Now though, we move into the scriptures that are related to preparedness. I’ll list the scripture and my interpretation of it, but it is what you think that matters. If you’re unsure about whether or not God wants you to prepare, read this section over and pray about it. Don’t just blindly take my word for it.
Genesis 6:21 (NIV)
“You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
God has just tasked Noah with building an arc big enough to fit two of every animal. Not only does Noah need to get the supplies to build the arc and then build it. He also has to get enough food for all of the animals and for his family.
This was a huge task in and of itself. Noah couldn’t run to Costco and buy a few bags of rice and some canned beans. He couldn’t order some freeze dried food from the net. He and his family had to grow, hunt, harvest and store all of this food.
Surly an all-powerful God could have just filled the arc with manna once it was built, but he specifically told Noah to plan ahead.
Genesis 41:1-32 (NIV)
…” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”…
The above is from Genesis 41:15. This is the story of Pharaoh having a dream that only Joseph is able to explain. Joseph is able to explain that there will be seven years of great abundance. From that abundance, they must store enough for the seven years of drought that will follow.
There are a couple points of interest to me here. First was; how God chose to reveal the need to store the excess. He gave a dream to Pharaoh, who had to seek counsel to find its meaning. I think that for some of us the decision to prepare isn’t a difficult one, yet for others it causes much stress. It caused stress for me, and I went looking for others who might have had some guidance and insight. This is also why I created PreparedChristian.net.
The second thing that stands out is the scope of what they were being asked to do. They had to store enough to feed an entire country including the livestock and they had seven years to do it.
I am willing to bet that there wasn’t celebrating during those seven years of surplus. I imagine they tightened some strings and cut back some, to make sure they met their goal. Sometimes living a preparedness lifestyle means we do have to cut back, even when things look like they might be okay. This is because you never know when the next drought or famine will be.
Exodus 12:35, 36 (NIV)
“The Israelite s did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing.”
“The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.”
Here is another example of where an all-powerful God could have just told the Jews to flee and He could have provided for every need. This time, however, He told them to only ask the Egyptians for gold, silver and clothing. He provided food and water each day.
On a related note, I have thought about why He would have them ask for precious metals. One possibility is so that the Jews would have something to build the calf into a false idol later on. It could also be the metals used to cover the Ark of the Covenant. Another possible option is trading.
Proverbs 6:6 –11 (NLT)
“6:6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! 6:7 Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, 6:8 they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. 6:9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? 6:10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—6:11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.”
This is one of those verses that is so cryptic, its meaning is lost on most of us. Yeah, not so much. This verse is the “kick in the pants” of the group. It says to watch the ants (that do nothing but prepare for the future) and learn from their ways and become wise; that we should prepare like the ants do, without being told, because it is in our best interest.
Proverbs 21:20
“The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.”
Another verse that sums things up nicely.
1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV)
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
I have mentioned that there are five basic human needs. It doesn’t matter what the situation is, they have to be met and according to Timothy 5:8 it is my responsibility to meet them.
Notice that there are no exclusions. It doesn’t say that you can be excused in times of famine, if the economy takes a downturn or if there is a blizzard.
I take this verse seriously; it is my job to provide come what may. In order to provide for the above mentioned scenarios, one must use some forethought.
I guess one could run to the grocery store right before the blizzard hits but that sounds more like a grasshopper than an ant.
Proverbs 27:12
“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”
This verse is my favorite and where I got the tagline of “Being Prudent in Today’s World”. I also think that it is the most important verse related to preparedness. My wife and I have used this verse to make some very big decisions.
It says that a smart person sees danger and takes precautions now and a fool ignores the danger and suffers for it. So, to be smart, we have to know what danger is and be on the lookout for it so that we can take precautions against it.
If you’re still reading this eBook, then this verse is talking about you. A person who doesn’t see trouble on the horizon won’t spend this much time reading an eBook about whether or not you should prepare. So, congratulations, my prudent compadre!
Here is one way to use this verse; I spend a fair amount of time thinking about “what if” scenarios. Some of this is to look for potential dangers to me and my family, but some is also to think up things to write on for the site.
One potential danger that I have covered on the site, which is a possible danger every winter, is an ice storm. While I have underground power lines and gas heat, they limit the dangers, but don’t eliminate them. As precautions for an ice storm, we have more than enough food to last us, we also have a camp stove to cook it on, should the need arise.
We also have a propane heater and a couple 20lbs propane tanks. If we lost heat and power, I have even thought of how we could insulate one room in the house and have everyone camp out in it.
I looked for the danger and took precautions and in doing this, I believe I have lived out Proverbs 27:12 and 1 Timothy 5:8. We’re more prepared for a potential ice storm and if there is one, I can provide for my family.
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