Are You Prepared?

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

—Matthew 6:19-21

I have one eye on the window and the other on the forecast. Meteorologists are predicting an epic storm, a blizzard of historic proportions. One to two feet of snow is expected to drop on our region within the next two days, halting all life as we know it. The governor has declared a state of emergency. Schools and businesses are closed. And we all brace for the storm. But are we prepared?

Like everyone else, I put gas in my car and made a mad dash to the grocery store to stock up on supplies. But am I really prepared? I go through my mental checklist. Milk…bread…check. Cat food…check. Jugs of water…check. Candles…lighter…check. Toilet paper…big check! A tower of toilet paper rolls now reaches from my bathroom cabinet to the ceiling. Cell phone charged…check. Flashlight…check. Batteries…uh, the one thing I forgot to get. Hopefully, there’s enough charge left in the batteries to power the flashlight through the weekend. Hopefully, the electricity won’t go out at all.

My snow boots are by the door, and my snow shovel awaits its purpose on the deck.

Yes, I think I’m ready.

Advance warnings of the storm have propelled most of us to prepare. But what happens when we aren’t warned? What happens when storms come unexpectedly? Are we thrown off guard? Knocked down and smashed against the rocks?

Can we prepare for the storms of life, even if we don’t know they’re coming?

I think we can.

We can stock our storehouse in advance.

Jesus said, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20).

How do we do that?

We treasure Jesus more than anything. We make deposits of our time in His account. We study His Word and learn how to apply it to our lives.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

We meditate on His Word and allow it to change us.

“For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life” (Proverbs 6:23).

We invest time in His Word, and we get to know His heart. We know His character, and we trust Him for daily protection and provision.

We invest our faith in Him. Like investing in the stock market, we ride out the ups and downs—we stay in it for the long haul, so that over time our investment of faith grows as we see His continued faithfulness toward us.

Then when the unexpected storm blows in, we make a withdrawal from our storehouse of faith, which will fortify us and carry us through it.

Prepared for the unexpected?

Bread of Life…check. Living Water…check. Light of the World…check. Strong tower…big check!

Dear Lord, thank You for being my helper, the provider of my life, and the protector of my soul (Psalm 54:4). When strong gusts blow, I trust You to be my strong tower (Psalm 61:3) and my shelter from the storm (Isaiah 25:4). When obstacles fall and visibility is poor, Your sharper-than-a-snow-shovel Word will clear my path and light my way (Psalm 119:105). Better prepared than a Boy Scout am I with You. Amen.