She Laughs at The Days to Come: Preparedness of the Heart
“strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”
Preparedness—something that has been more on our minds than ever before. In our culture of convenience, it’s easy to forget that it takes more than pixie dust for food to show up on the grocery store shelves, water to flow from our faucets, and heat to warm our houses. The year 2020, with one disaster after another, has reminded us that not one of these things are guaranteed. Preparedness and prudence are virtues of an Excellent Woman and a Wise Man, as we see all throughout the book of Proverbs. In coming posts, I want to talk about preparing our homes in frugal, thoughtful ways while being good stewards of our resources at hand.
Before we discuss physical preparedness, it is vital that we begin with the most important preparation of all—that of the heart. What good is a stocked pantry, a bug out bag, or warm winter clothes without a heart that truly trusts in the Lord? These things are all good to have, but we do not put our trust in them. No, we trust in the Lord! Any sort of physical preparations must be made out of faith and with reverence for God’s sovereignty. We cannot cultivate this gentle spirit without a personal relationship with the Lord.
We see in God’s word that the Proverbs 31 woman laughs without fear of the future. As I am writing this, we are 2 days away from the election. So much is at stake. Laughing?! Laughing at the future?! At times, the idea of that feels almost foolish. How can one do so? This laughter is not one that comes from external circumstances. It is not secure finances, sufficient food, or the guarantee of warmth that lends to such confidence, but rather a persevering trust and knowledge of the Lord.
“the fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
If we want to have hope, confidence, and joy no matter what is going on in the world, we must seek the Lord and know Him. We will never find hope in politics, we will never find the satiating joy of Christ by scrolling on Twitter, and we will never laugh at the days to come if we are unfamiliar with the promises and character of God.
We know that we have a sovereign God. Not even a sparrow falls from the sky without His okay. “So do not fear, you are more valuable than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31) God is sovereign—even over evil. As we see in the book of Job, even the devil must ask the permission of God. Everything that has happened and is going to happen, will be used for His glory. All is a part of His sovereign will.
We also know that God’s promises to His people will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). Jesus Christ is returning in glory to rule and reign. The wicked will be judged and punished rightly. Not one act of evil will escape His wrath. The righteous will live for eternity in perfect peace with Christ. This is our hope. This is what we look to.
So before we prepare our pantries, our homes, our clothes—let us prepare our hearts for eternity. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If so, hide His word in your heart and seek Him first. If not, do not harden your heart against Him any longer.
In the face of danger, poverty, hunger, and even death, we can delight with great joy that this world is not our home, and we have a God that will work everything out for good for those who love Him. So let us laugh at the days to come, for we know “that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
Go in peace, my friends.
—Kaetlyn
“peace, ye unbelieving thoughts, be still, and know that the lord reigneth!”