Have you heard of the preppers? Preppers are preparing for a disaster, or as some say, for
“The End of The World as We Know It.”
They gather large quantities of food, water, and other supplies. They learn skills to become more
self-sufficient. They prepare for
a long period of time without the electrical grid. Most have guns to protect themselves in case law enforcement
cannot help them. You can learn
more about preppers at www.survivalblog.com/
or americanpreppersnetwork.com. Some
see prepping as a wise plan, while others see it as unnecessary or strange.
I believe that some preparation is wise. Since 9/11, FEMA has recommended that
you store one gallon of water per person, per day, so that you can survive 3
days in your home, and enough food to last 3 days. Life brings unexpected disasters. What would you do if a tornado hit your home? How well were you prepared for this
recession? If your electricity was
cut off in an ice storm, how many days could you survive without
electricity? Does your family have
a plan on how to deal with a fire in your home?
In Genesis 41, Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream that Egypt
would have 7 years of abundant crops followed 7 years of famine. So Joseph was put in charge of saving
up extra food supplies during the 7 years of abundant crops, to prepare for the
7 years of drought and famine.
That lead Pharaoh and Joseph to wisely use the abundant years to prepare
for the lean years of hardship.
The decision lead to the saving of the Egyptian people, and to the
survival of the Israelites when Joseph’s family came to Egypt to receive food
from him. Maybe Joseph and Pharaoh
were the original preppers.
Have you ever considered spiritual preparedness?
Are you trusting Christ’s mercy for the ultimate day of
judgment in Revelation 20: 11-15?
Do you regularly confess your sins? Or do you, like the Pharisee in the temple, give thanks to
God that you’re not like those “sinners?”
(Luke 18:9-14)
Have you ever learned to read the Bible for your own
spiritual nurture? What if you
were in a situation where you did not have access to a good Bible-teaching
church or pastor? (Those who have
lived away from the Bible-Belt may have experienced this.) Would your faith decline or deteriorate
in your new world? Or would you be
able to sustain your faith?
If you’re a parent or grandparent, are you training your
children or grandchildren in the ways of faith, hope, and love in Christ? Relying on your church to train your
children is not enough to prepare your child for life in today’s world. Imagine a rope that is 168 inches
long. There are 168 hours in a
week. If your child is taught by a
church for 2-3 hours per week, that leaves huge segments of time when you child
will be influenced by others.
Consider your child’s daycare workers or school teacher. Are they influencing your child for
good or for worldly ways?
Can you devote a few hours every week, or say 20 minutes a
day, to reading the Bible to your young child? Or talking to your older child about what the Bible
means? When you watch TV or a
movie with your child, do you point out good or bad things in the show and
bring up what Scripture teaches about those things? Do you know what your child is looking at online? There are software programs that
monitor children online. Do you
pray with your child at mealtime or bedtime? How much are you influencing your child or grandchild for
God? Is your child being prepared
for a life of faith in Christ?
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