“NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH”
Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? Being right in the middle of Hurricane Harvey and the information leading up to that disaster, it may be that preparedness is already on your mind. In the Georgia Magazine published by Georgia Electric Membership Corp., there is an article about being prepared. They listed four tips for being better-prepared for emergency situations. While their tips had to do with natural disasters (floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.), there is a spiritual application to being prepared. Here are their tips with the spiritual application.
Examine your life. Do you live in an area where certain disasters occur? In other words, examine where you live, do you know evacuation routes? We need to be prepared by examining our life. David said, “I considered my ways And turned my feet to Your testimonies” (Ps. 119:59). Jeremiah wrote, “Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD” (Lam. 3:40). Paul wrote, “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (1 Cor. 11:28). Paul also gave this instruction, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates” (2 Cor. 13:5)? Are you a Christian? Are you a faithful Christian? If you died today, would you be saved? There is only one escape route from this world, and that is Jesus Christ. Jesus declared, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jn. 14:6). Make sure you know and go that route.
Make a kit. In case of disaster, you need first aid materials, warm blankets etc. You need a spiritual kit. Three things you need in your spiritual kit; first, the Holy Word of God (Ps. 119:11); second, a prayer life (1 Thess. 5:17; Jam. 5:13-16). At all times we need prayer. Three, have good reading material that gives you strength. Paul said bring the books, “especially the parchments” (2 Tim. 4:13). All three of these items need to be in the Christian’s kit.
Stay connected. In time of disaster staying connected is vital. Getting the right information at the right time could save your life. We must stay connected to God as we are taught by Jesus, when he said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Stay connected to the church (1 Cor. 12:14). We are members one of another and therefore depend upon strength from one another. Stay connected to fellow Christians (Gal. 6:2). As in a disaster, when you become disconnected with those who can help you spiritually, your soul will die.
Spread the word. As folks share information in a disaster, so should we share the gospel of Christ with others (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Rom. 1:16). Spread the word of God to others. Someone described Christianity as one beggar telling another where to find bread.
Make every month spiritual preparedness month.
Larry