I started this writing as a response to the original blog on “Four-Six Months Supply”(below). I do however believe this may become a discussion that might side track it from the original intent of the author, so I decided to make this a separate topic, and therefore have copied the original starting response into the beginning of this one:
I have been contemplating this same issue for a number of years. I have come to understand that depending on, and trusting in, God is the key, not our own efforts. But faith without works is dead. Depending on God does not mean passivity or apathy. When we trust God for his provision it is still our duty to do the part He expects from us. Jesus told us to consider the birds, that He feeds even them. Have you ever noted that birds (except when babies incapable of flight) do not stay in the nest and wait for their food? They forage wide and far for their sustenance. God provides for them, but they have to do what they can to co-operate in His provision.
The Bible brings that same concept to bear upon man and says if any will not work, neither should he eat. We should not expect God to do for us that which we could, and should, be doing.
Through Pharaoh’s dream God revealed to Joseph that there would come a very difficult time of famine, but he also showed him that there was still time to prepare. Joseph did prepare as far as he was capable to do, and God used this to provide not only for Joseph, but for all his brethren, and the whole of his country.
(Prov 22:3) A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
That said, we are definitely not called of God to acquire a "bunker mentality". Our duty is to prepare, but not out of fear. Basic preparedness can include things as simple a keeping a flashlight next to your bed. It is for this same reason cars come equipped with spare wheels, and ships carry life rafts. That is basic common sense preparedness for eventualities that have a remote chance of happening, even though we do not expect that we will be using these. This is basic or low level preparedness. When certain circumstances develop that requires us to better prepare, we have to move to a higher state of preparedness. What Joseph did in Egypt was not simply everyday preparedness, he knew trouble was ahead, and he made specific preparations to position himself in the best possible way.
To continue the discussion on preparedness…
Our kingdom is not of this world. But we are in the world, and God has placed us here, and we have responsibilities here for as long as God keeps us here. We are to be salt and light. We are to live in fellowship with other believers. We are to provide and care for those whom God has entrusted to us. To provide for your family and others less fortunate is not synonymous to establishing your kingdom on the earth. To prepare for difficult times ahead does not mean you see the world as your kingdom. When you find your ultimate security in these things, it does however indicate where your heart is – in the world. It is essential that we make the distinction clear.
What are we preparing for? (I am speaking from the assumption that we already know that we should at all times be prepared to meet the Lord Jesus – to be spiritually prepared, and to know that real security lies in a Person – Jesus, and not in a set of ideal circumstances).
Joseph knew God, and found his security in Him. As an outflow of faith, he undertook physical preparation for the difficult times that God showed him were lying ahead. This article likewise focuses on the physical side of preparedness, to meet the situations in the world around us, and the likely challenges we may be faced with in the near future. We undertake physical preparation as a consequence of faith in what God shows us, not as a consequence of fear for losing our earthly treasures. Why would God show us things to come, if He does not wish for us to prepare for them? Would God show us physical events to come in this world, but expect us only to be spiritually prepared, while we neglect the physical means? What faith is that? It is the same as when James said (James 2:15-17) If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
If we do not follow the spiritual aspect with a physical outworking, we are stuck in a secular religion that wants to separate the physical life and the spiritual one. “Your actions have nothing to do with your beliefs”. It is this same thinking process that has conned many into believing that there can be such a thing as a “gay christian” (a sodomite believer?).
Joseph believed God, and as he was spiritually prepared, he also set about to physically prepare. What earthly events has God directly shown us in His Word to prepare for? What earthly events has God given us wisdom to foresee, and prepare for?
These events can be placed in two different categories:
Firstly, there are certain future situations that we are guaranteed will occur. Scripture is very clear on events during the last days. What their exact timing, extent and nearness in the future will be, is not all that clear, but come they will. These are things God directly shows us will take place.
Secondly, there are certain future situations that we may envisage, that are not guaranteed to occur, but wisdom, logical deduction and a study of history and economics proves that the likelihood is very high. Such situations may not be direct fulfilments of the prophesies in the book of Revelation, but nonetheless can still have catastrophic effects. God uses these as warnings of things to come. It did not require a fulfilment of the prophecies in Revelation for Zimbabwe to experience a famine, and a total economic collapse. It was something that maybe did not touch many of us, but nonetheless had tragic results for millions of people. Such has happened throughout history to many nations. Those that are wise usually foresee such events many years in advance, it does not take them by surprise, and they start issuing warnings (which mostly fall on deaf ears). Such persons are not necessarily prophets, but they are people who can connect “cause and effect”. People who understand the principles of physics, mathematics and economics, understand that these cannot be violated without consequences. Neither can God’s will be violated without consequences.
A country with a high level of corruption, greed and base morals is bound for destruction. Such a society, if not destroyed by a foreign influence, will eventually self-destruct. The cycle of collapse takes much longer in countries where there is great wealth and infrastructure, but the end is inevitably the same for all. The collapse of Zimbabwe, from an exporter with a strong currency, to a welfare state with dismal currency has taken 30 years, the collapse of America takes a lot longer, but it is heading the same way. In small countries things happen a lot faster, in large countries the wheels turn much slower, but the scale of events are so much larger. When Zimbabwe hit rock bottom almost half of its population skipped the border into South Africa to seek refuge, food and employment. South Africa, being a larger, wealthier country, thus absorbed a large part of the blow that hit Zimbabwe. Imagine a crisis where half the population of China, or half the population of America has to be supported from outside! The magnitude of such a crisis is huge, when the country is huge.
Therefore, we need to appreciate that preparedness implies to position oneself in the best way to meet such challenges. It is important to realise that it does not essentially require the fulfilment of last days prophecies before we may be faced with difficult times or catastrophe. Japan is experiencing this right now, and we are definitely not in the Revelation 6-18 events yet.
We need to ask ourselves what would be our position if a major crisis came upon us. What are likely scenarios? Earthquake, economic collapse, food shortage, power blackout, oil/fuel crisis, terrorism, war, epidemic outbreak…? These things can all happen without them being in the Rev 6-18 category. If I have to take an honest look at the world scene today, I have to admit that never in history has the above scenario’s been more likely than in our immediate future, and that anyone of these could trigger many of the others.
These could, of course, set the stage for, and propel us into the final Rev 6-18 scene. There are enough warning voices going up in the world, both Christian and secular. The purpose of this writing is not convince anybody of a coming calamity, or to instil fear, but rather to look at preparedness for such events.
To appreciate what needs to be considered in preparing, we do need to look at likely scenario’s, just as a rescue team would look at possible scenarios, and equip themselves for such events. They carry fire extinguishers because they know that an accident scene is likely to cause a fire, and have fuel spills. They carry water and IV equipment, because they foresee that victims of heat exhaustion are likely to be dehydrated. They carry stretcher boards and neck braces because they know that there may be spinal injuries…etc.
Now, extensive preparation is not possible for everyone, as our abilities and resources vary. The Lord does not expect us to do what we cannot do; He will look after that. We ought to pray, and do what we can do, and what that will be differs from person to person.
I am going to list preparations in 3 categories: first line, second line, and third line:
First line:
These are preparations that enable one to deal with immediate, unexpected events that require immediate action. I will name a few, so we can get an idea of the type of preparations these include. There are many excellent web-sites on survival that give comprehensive lists, I am not going to duplicate those.
- Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries next to your bed, and also in a place in your home where you will be able to find your way to it in complete darkness.
- Always have at least a quarter tank of fuel in your vehicle.
- Maintain a well stocked medical kit.
- Have the means of defending your family should there be a hostile element threatening their safety.
- Have emergency phone numbers, bank account numbers, some cash, and ID accessible at all times.
Second line:
These are preparations that enable one to deal with crises for a short continued period (maybe for some days, or up to a few weeks).
- Have a backup supply of staple foods and drinking water.
- Have an alternative means of lighting, heating and cooking, should you lose electrical supply.
- Have an alternative to sanitary arrangements should the sewerage service stop working.
Third line:
These are preparations that enable one to deal with crises for an extended or indefinite time. These are the most challenging and resource requiring preps, as these involve renewable resources, not simply stockpiled reserves that can after a time become depleted. These are actually the most advantageous preparations, because the first two categories will only allow you to handle a crisis as long as your reserves last.
- Alternative energy systems for heating, cooking, refrigeration and lighting.
- Renewable water source – own spring, well, bore hole, river or dam etc.
- Renewable food sources – growing own food and keeping livestock.
- Basic skills and tools to build and maintain (carpentry, mechanics, electrical, plumbing etc)
- Basic medical knowledge, backed up by medical books or printed material (do not rely on the availability of the internet)
- Alternative sanitary system.
- Replace stocks and shares with real gold and (rural) real estate. Paper has little value in a crisis, banks freeze accounts, shares plummet etc.
These are basically “pioneering” requirements. In short, the above imply taking responsibility for your needs, instead of relying on government and other companies to supply these against payment (do not take your job, salary or bank account for granted in situations of economic fallout, civil unrest, or any severe disruption of society). Do not take the complex, just-in-time systems of supply and services around us for granted.
We have to face a simple logical thought: Any of the above mentioned crises can develop into civil unrest. If large numbers of people find themselves unprepared, their water supply gone, and their ability to buy food gone, they may start targeting those who have these commodities. Your veggie garden in the city may become everybody’s garden. Your swimming pool with your reserve water supply may be empty in two days. Your home may be plundered by mobs, and your family’s 3 months emergency supply of foodstuffs eaten in a day. Frankly, when living in an urban environment with all your reserves you are likely to become a target. Epidemics spread rapidly in cities due to high population density. Living in a city means you have to buy everything. Cities are vast consumers that merely consume things that are produced elsewhere. You need to spend a constant stream of money just to live. It is guaranteed that there will come a time when those who obey God will not be able to buy or sell (Rev 13:17).
Being in a rural area significantly hedges against the risks of the above. This however for most of us means a complete shift in the way we think and operate, a complete break with many of our current securities and comfort zones. Incidentally this happens to be more in line with the way of life God had originally purposed man to live, than what we see around us today. I would like to further discuss this in a follow-up post, and would like to invite comments, questions or participation.
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