Should Christians prepare for hard times?
By: Scott Morefield
Many years ago God gave Pharaoh a dream, interpreted by Joseph, about 7 coming years of famine. Because of this dream and its correct interpretation, Joseph was able to help Pharaoh use the present years of plenty to store food in order to prepare for the future years of hardship, thus saving countless lives. Today, from pandemics and natural disasters to wars, EMP threats, food shortages and price increases, the national debt and the constant Fed ‘quantitative easing’ threatening to eventually destroy the value of our currency, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a dream from God to know that hard times are coming. The evidence is all around us!
So this begs the question – should Christians take concrete steps to prepare for the hard times we all know are coming? So many Christians believe that ‘prepping’ means a mindset of NOT trusting God, but in fact it is much the opposite. While we do trust in him to guide and protect, we are using our God-given wisdom to act wisely. If you asked most Christians if they have car, house, or life insurance, many if not all would quickly say, ‘yes.’ This is not a lack of faith, rather it is being wise stewards of what we have been endowed. Being less dependent on commercial industry is much the same. We firmly believe that, indeed, Christians (and everybody else!) SHOULD prepare for what’s coming, using every resource possible.
Here are four key reasons why:
1.) God is sovereign, but we are responsible – Orthodox Christians believe in the sovereignty of God. He can and He will accomplish whatever He chooses to accomplish, in His time. He has control not only over the mighty universe and all the planets, stars, and galaxies therein, but also over every detail of our lives, even to the hairs on our head. OK if that’s the case, you ask, what’s the point of doing anything for ourselves?
Because God commands us to, that’s why!
Jesus brought Lazarus from the grave, but commanded the people there to roll back the stone. Couldn’t He have done it with a wave of His finger? Man is responsible. Couldn’t God, instead of having Joseph and the people go through the trouble of ‘prepping,’ have just made grain appear to feed the Israelites and Egyptians during the seven years of famine? Man is responsible. Couldn’t God, instead of having Noah build an ark and load it with provisions and animals, have just miraculously lifted the lives He wanted to spare to a cloud for a while? Man is responsible.
Read the rest here:
http://amorefieldlife.com/2012/09/22/should-christians-prepare-for-hard-times/
My take on the question of prepping is that it’s the responsibility of every true Believer to 1. make sure his lamp is filled with the oil of the Spirit and 2. to then let God’s Spirit in Scripture convince him/her about what to do, which way to go.