When I say there are over 1000 acorns buried in my front yard I seriously am not exaggerating. In the 15 years we have lived here I have never seen such furious squirrel activity. They are so busy you can almost walk up to them without them ceasing their labor.
If Solomon had seen my yard, instead of talking about ants he would have talked about the labor of squirrels. They have reminded me that I do not yet have all my firewood cut, split and stowed for the winter so I better get busy.
Preparing for the future is one of Jesus’ messages to us. The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 is a prime example of our need to think ahead. Five of the young ladies missed the feast because they failed to prepare.
It is true Jesus told us not to fret about the future. He assures us that God will care for us with more care than He does for the birds and flowers, but by the same token God has also given us better brains than birds and flowers. He does expect us to use them.
Preparing for the future is using our energies to strengthen our characters, minds and souls. Just as exercise strengthens the body so does time spent in the Word strengthen us for spiritual combat. Being ready means being prepared to face down any temptation that comes our way.
Written by Roger Bothwell on Oct. 7, 2008
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