What does the Bible say about preparedness?

[homesteadingnky]

I've been reading in Matt. 25 about the 10 virgins. From what we can see they all 10 looked alike as the party started. There was nothing that stood out or appeared obviously different about them. They all had lamps that were burning. As the night drug on at one point they all slumbered and sleep and at the midnight hour when the call went out they were ALL approaching burnout.

But here's were we see the difference! The 5 who were refered to as WISE were prepared! They carried with them (in their BOB if you will) an extra supply of oil. This is the only difference in these 10 virgins. 5 of them were prepared and 5 weren't. The bible doesn't call them the 5 good and the 5 evil. They are the 5 WISE and the 5 FOOLISH. So as the night wore on the presence or absence of this extra provision became a critical issue and one that certainly begin to seperate these 10 virgins and make them appear noticably different.

Worth mentioning is that the lamp in scripture often refers to the spirit of a person (PR. 20:27) and the extra supply of oil was carried outside of the lamp. It was a provision that was from an outside source. We are dependent on the Holy Spirit (which is symbolized by the oil) for wisdom and strength and it is our right relationship with God that allows us to experience the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It's what seperates the wise form the foolish, the believing from the unbelieving.

The 5 foolish said to the wise, "give us of your oil for our lamps have gone out" but the wise answered saying "not so, lest there be not enough for us and you but rather go to them who sell and buy for yourself."

So we see that we are all individually responsible for our own oil and we can't give someone else our oil (refering to our personal salvation and relationship to God) but we can point them in the right direction and tell them were they can find this "oil".

I do not think that it's stretching this scripture out of context to say that there is a larger meaning as well. I believe that it also is saying in general that those who "prepare" (spiritually, pysically, mentally, and financially) are wise and those who don't are foolish.

Proverbs 6:5-11 says "6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man."

If an ant can prepare for hard times surely we can. An old saying says that "a cunning rabbit has 3 holes." Another sayings says, "in fair weather prepare for foul."

So I incourage everyone I can to get prepared! Spiritually first because all the physical and financial preparations in the world won't help you if your not spiritually ready when Jesus comes back! You must have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

So prepare spiritually first. Romans 10:9-10, 13 says, "9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Then prepare in every other way. There's a lot of focus on physical preparation on BWH and I love that! Let's just make sure that we don't leave off the most important aspect of it all.

Have a blessed day!
Homesteading Dad n KY

[RangerRick]

Proverbs 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

;D

Rick

[homesteadingnky]

Pr. 27:12 says the same thing. Wonder why it's repeated? I believe it's because it's a very important warning to be alert and prepared. I love these verses and have used them many times. Sad that many folks just don't get it though.

Homesteading Dad n KY

[homesteadingnky]

No one comes to mind more than old Noah when I think of preparedness. Look at this for a moment with me. God asked Noah to build a huge boat that was approximately 450’ long 75’ wide and 45’ tall in an area that was according to many hundreds of miles from the ocean, because He was going to destroy the earth by flood. It had never rained before but Noah didn’t hesitate. The Bible says that he moved with fear and prepared an ark to the saving of his house Hebrews 11.

Can you imagine the critics and nay sayers he had to deal with, all of those who amde fun of him constantly and questioned his sanity (sound familar)?

When you really think about this, it’s awesome. He didn’t have a chain saw or a portable sawmill. Nor could he jump in his truck and head to Lowes or Home Depot to get all of his supplies. He had to do it all from scratch using only his hands and very primitive tools, never the less, he begin at once to do just what God had told him to do. Many of us may have been setting there a year later saying ‘I do need to get that ark project started soon’. But he begin at once, moved with fear or respect for God and what He had told him to do.

His act of faith to this one task was longer than our lifespan and yet he didn’t have a church or group of like-minded folks online to encourage him when he got down and begin to question what he was doing. I mean he was a man. Whether or not he ever spoke it you know that somewhere towards the 100 –110 year mark he surely had to begin to second-guess himself. The only support group he had was his family (he must have had a good wife huh?)

But the Bible says that he did all that the Lord God asked him to do. What a testimony! And the result of his act of faith and obedience was the saving of his family and the very reason that you and I are here today. I think often that the act of preparing now, may just save my family in the future. We know that the future is uncertain and that eventually there is a coming chaos that only our spiritual preparations will save us from but between now and then we may have to endure some very hard times. So our family chooses to move with fear (not the wringing of hands and biting of nails but with respect and awe of God and of what may come) and prepare now before the storm hits.

It does no good to wait until you see the tornado to start digging your cellar. We choose to prioritize the things that we still have left to do and attack them one, two, three at a time what ever we can handle. 2008 has to be the year that we get ALL of our essential bases covered. That’s our mindset. How about you? Have you made your spiritual preparations? How about all of your physical or financial preparations. Are you moving with urgency now so that you’ll be ready then? Just my ramblings but they are questions worth pondering!! Don't procrastinate start today if you haven't already! :)

Homesteading Dad

[theresehirko]

My classmates just teased me today because I was going home to pressure can the lentil soup I was making. When they asked me I did over the weekend, besides studying, I told them I made candle wicks. They think that I have absolutely lost my mind. I reminded them that just two years ago, we had no food, water, gasoline or power for two weeks due to Katrina and you can't wait until a hurricane is in the Gulf of Mexico to start preparing. They'll be scrambling around and I'll be able to sit at home and relax because my food and water is already stockpiled.

I have also started stockpiling medical supplies. FYI: nondeodorant maxi pads, the cheapest, thickest ones ones you can find make great compresses for bleeding. Nondeodorant small tampons are also great for nosebleeds. Please take them out of their applicators before you shove one up a nostril however.