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Being Prepared

 

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3) 

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17-19) 

 

One of the devotionals I’m working my way through quoted this passage   and pointed out that we’re not supposed to put our trust into our perceptions of our circumstances – even if those perceptions are right. We are to put our trust in God, that in, through, because of, or despite our circumstances, He shall accomplish His will, which shall be for our good. But few of us can do this if those circumstances are difficult.

Years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a movie about a detective who goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher. Early on, there’s a fire drill and the kids in his class do horribly. He drills them repeatedly until – at the next fire drill, they are models for everyone else to follow. The military in most nations have war games, and emergency response groups in more local jurisdictions have mock-emergencies so they can practice. In response to my cyclical “I’m not prepared for emergencies”, I have – occasionally – battened down the hatches, and treated minor social unrest or a mild-to-moderate weather phenomenon as if they were much worse.  

I know it’ll sound crazy, but what if we got into the habit of paraphrasing Scripture a little. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging, or though I stub my toe…or forget to buy butter.”

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, though it’s raining, or my shampoo ginger has died…yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

What if, having said “though…I will,” we then do what we say we will do? In short, what if we drill ourselves in what we should be doing? What is we practice doing what we should do in these dire circumstances? It’d be best if we memorized the verse, but what if we just applied it?

Though I have an overdue book, yet I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Though I stressed my knees gardening, I rejoice because he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on heights.

Though finances are tight, God is my ever-present help in trouble.

Though _____ offended me, God works all things together for good.

And then, when things get tougher, we’ll be prepared.

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