Why? Because difficult times lie ahead. Prices are jumping quicker than a human over hot coals. Inflation is expected to at least double the present prices by the end of this year, if not sooner.
The wise king
King Solomon wrote what was collated into 31 chapters of numerous proverbs, some he wrote personally, and some he collected from other wise sayings of his era.
Wisdom
In chapter 24, we read:*
“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house” (Proverbs 24:27, NIV).
Preparation
Though we trust in the Lord to provide for our needs (Matthew 6:25-34), we should prepare in advance for difficult times. I submit to you that in this new season of tribulation that we should already be preparing for what is to come. And do not be deceived, tribulations began in earnest when Jesus was resurrected and when He opened the first four seals of Revelation chapter six. These tribulations will increase in intensity until He stands again on the Mount of Olives.
With the ongoing war in Ukraine, rampant inflation, foolish government expenditures, increasing oil prices, supply chain shortages and the like, most of us are already feeling the pinch in our wallets and/or purses. Our respective currency becomes more and more worthless at every turn.
It’s never too late to prepare, friends. What I glean from the above-mentioned verse in Proverbs is that we should, if at all possible, be planting gardens to harvest our own food. Additionally, we should have a modicum of security (fire alarms, gates, security cameras, and some type of reasonable defense).
Build your spiritual house
After we have done this and continue to improve over the long-term, we build our house. Our house, as it were, should have already been built upon the rock of Christ. our Lord and Savior.
Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27, NIV).
Did you catch that? The rain, floods and the wind are symbolic of the troubles that beset us in this life as we dwell in our mortal earth suits.
With Christ as our eternal Rock (not Peter), we have the promised indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us and our house is established.
And the more we become like Christ and are obedient to God’s will, the more we will move from “faith to faith,” that is, our faith will increase and continue until the consummation of the age (Romans 1:17).
Perseverance
In the New Testament and in the in the NIV, the term "perseverance" occurs thirteen times. In the Septuagint the word refers to either confidence in or tense expectation of ("waiting on") the power or the faithfulness of God, who delivers his people (Psalm 37:9; Isaiah 51:5; Micha 7:7; Zeph 3:8). Perseverance is inextricably linked with the concept of hope (Psalm 5:11; 7:1 ; 15:1; 16:7).
Our hope in Christ is not mere wishful thinking but rather a confidence in Him for who He is, what He has done, what He has promised, and what He will do. We must abandon the self and allow to be God on God's terms rather than our terms. When we do the opposite we live in the false self.
Perception
We need to put on our spiritual glasses and observe the season we are in. Many of us are entirely too focused on the things of this world and the pursuit thereof. This is not for the true believer but instead replicates what the pagans do.
The Apostle John wrote: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them” (1 John 2:15, NIV).
Who are we putting before God? Whatever it is, we shun it because it is idolatry. Our culture has drastically changed. Those who belong to this world (earth dwellers - the unbelieving) change the culture by inventing or redefining new words and concepts.
There are no multiple genders, friends; there is strictly male and female (Genesis 1:27). Freedom is God-ordained and not established by any government.
To be perceptive is to have the “mind of Christ” (Romans 12:2). God’s living word informs us that human wisdom is faulty at best, leading humanity to call “good evil and evil good” (Isaiah 5:20).
At every moment of each day, we observe ourselves fighting an internal battle, one that can either bring us a step closer to Christ or pull us farther from Him. In which direction are we heading?
We receive the mind of Christ upon belief but it needs to be further developed. We accomplish this by taking our every thought captive, reading and memorizing God’s everlasting word, and meditating on Scripture. We diligently spend consistent time in the presence of Christ through prayer and worship and praise.
Prayer
God gave us a direct communication line to Him through Jesus. Are we spending time in daily prayer or throwing caution to the wind? Some of us who call ourselves Christians have time for social media, Netflix and other forms of entertainment, but fail to spend time with our Lord in prayer. We say we have no time. We deceive ourselves by saying this.
Though it has been stated before, it bears repeating: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5, NIV). We don’t need a priest to intervene for us, because we are priests!
Not only do we recognize God’s sovereignty over our lives and Has plan, and make our requests known to God in prayer, we listen to what He has to say. Many of us are not good listeners; we only seek the benefits of prayer. But God is not in the genie business of granting our every wish, as some wrongly believe.
We should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If we are only praying when we are in need or in a crisis, we are missing an intimate relationship with God.
A Final Thought
We live in perilous and exciting times. Hardship is coming. While the times are dark, the light of Christ shines through and directs our paths. Let us prepare, gain a new perception. and be persistent prayer warriors for Christ.
When we have built our house on the Rock of Christ, no shifting world events can shake our faith. Therefore, rejoice!