The value of preparation is packed into the book of wisdom, Proverbs. How can I apply this wisdom to my life? There are some great illustrations from nature found in Prov. 30:24-28. “There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; the conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; the locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; the spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.” There are four areas of preparation we can learn about here: provision, protection, peace (order), and perseverance.

All the things named here are little things, weak things, feeble things. It might even be accurate to say despised things. Do you ever feel small and unimportant? Or maybe just irrelevant? In a worldly sense, this may be true. However, “God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” The common quality found in these creatures is their willingness to make the most of the gifts given to them by God. It has been well said that “God does the planning; our job is preparing to be useful.”

How can we apply the wisdom of preparation?

*Provision – The example of the ants is the wisdom of preparing now for coming concerns. They are exceeding wise because they look beyond the immediate! This caution is well-heeded by the discerning Christian. Look ahead! Are there warning signs? Obstacles? Opportunities? It is exceeding wise to think about areas of preparation. Are there provisions you need to make regarding: spiritual growth, calling or career, family or relationships, health, finances, etc. We need the wisdom of preparation in our homes, our churches, our parenting, our witnessing, and so much more!

*Protection – The conies make their houses in the rocks. They are described as feeble- meaning they are not strong enough to withstand strain, pressure, or strenuous effort. Knowing their own weakness, they prepare by surrounding themselves with strength. What a wonderful example! We are so vulnerable to Satan’s attacks, the sinfulness of our flesh, weaknesses of the mind, poor physical health, foolishness, fainting, etc. In each decision of life, we should recognize that, like the conies, we are “but a feeble folk” – and prepare accordingly. We must hedge ourselves about with God’s Word, surround ourselves in the fellowship of saints, maintain Christian homes with walls of prayer and holiness, and secure our churches on the timeless doctrines of unshakeable Truth. Strength is sown in preparation.

*Peace (Order) – The enemy of unity is self-importance. “The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands.” Working together in an orderly fashion requires communication and cooperation. Success depends upon humility. There is no great locust king leading the charge and enforcing order among his kind. Yet these creatures of God move forward together in harmonious fashion. This area of preparation in my life looks like a willingness to walk with other believers in the fellowship of the saints and humbly submit to the order and structure of the local church in this age of grace.

*Perseverance – Raise your hand if you like spiders? Not me! Most of us don’t want a spider hanging around in the corner of our living room. Certainly, a king doesn’t want one in his palace, but the persistent critter keeps coming back anyway. What does God say about the spider? She “taketh hold!” A big part of preparation is the previous determination to keep going, keep trying, keep moving. Not discouraged when met with inconvenience or failure. Starting over.