Do any of you remember talk of stockpiling food and ammunition as a means of surviving “troublous times” back in the early 1970s amid predictions of famines, globe-girdling wars, and an imminent breakdown of society?
How about the responding argument that went something like this ... “As for me, I’ll trust in the Lord.”
(?)
I found an article from two years ago in the Wall Street Journal that does not suggest that we Load the Pantry as a response to coming tribulation.
The logic the article laid out was an "economic suggestion" instead.
The logic the article laid out was an "economic suggestion" instead.
The author, Brett Arends, was saying that food prices were rising at a much faster pace than the potential returns on short-term investments.
And though we optimistic Americans were hoping that the recent spikes in food and fuel inflation would soon pass, Arends laid out logic to support a likely acceleration in the trend ... which has turned out to be an accurate assumption.
No, the Wall Street Journal was not suggesting that we hunker in our bunkers with an AK and a six month supply of canned goods because TEOTWAWKI was fast approaching ... they were simply suggesting that non-perishables were cheaper then, at that time, than they will be later.
Later like now ... like, right now.
Do you carry a flashlight in your car? You do!? Is it smart to throw in a blanket, sleeping bag, some food, matches and a lighter when you drive over snowy mountains or the desert? It is!?
Why? Don't you trust God?
Ridiculous!
We have a God-given responsibility to look after the needs of our families and friends, and to help others in need.
The Bible says a righteous man lays up in store for his children and his children’s children ... that means we should prepare for all kinds of eventualities, and make sure that those who depend on us do not suffer as a result of our carelessness or neglect.
Whether it’s a road trip, life’s journey in general, or these particularly unsettling times we face ... the principle is intact.
Brace yourselves.
There are numerous fear-mongers out there who will seize on nearly anything to get people to cough up money, and the unsettling times we are living in give them plenty of opportunity to create panic.
We’re beginning to hear more and more discussions of the “end of days” and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy now on national radio and national television ... but does this mean it is time to get wild eyed; act in panic or hook up with some pretense of a prophet?
No!
It means it’s time to fulfill our responsibilities to our families and friends, use our available resources wisely, and above all ... keep our wits about us.
Is that inconsistent with trust in God?
Hardly!
I am reminded of an analogy we've probably all heard, and so here is a shortened version: There’s a man clinging in the top of tree with floodwaters rising around his ankles. When a helicopter shows up and lowers the rescue harness, he waves them off and shouts that he’s waiting on God to save him.
Trusting in God, yes, will be the only way we will be able to endure this deteriorating environment while remaining confident and in good spirits.
A large stash of food and an AK won’t do it.
But it’s no time to suspend use of our greatest possession ... and THAT is the power of sober discernment that resides in the mind God designed and gave each of us.
With Love,
Your Faithful Prepper (where autonomy and faith collide)
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