More On Storing Up Food

Q. One of your posts said that in preparing for tough times ahead, that we shouldn’t “horde” things, and that storing up food or supplies to last a year or two isn’t putting our trust in God.

My question is since we see what we think is coming, shouldn’t we take these things as a warning to start “squirrelling” away somethings for when times get worse? After all, Joseph was smart and helped Pharoah store food for when the famine hit. If we make no preparations at all, isn’t that just asking to be enslaved even more when we see many signs in front of us that our economy is about to collapse?

A. Joseph required the people to bring their harvests into Pharaoh’s storehouses during the 7 good years and then he sold it back to them during the bad. (Gen. 41:48,56) The net result is that Pharaoh wound up owning all the wealth and property of Egypt and the people were effectively reduced to slavery (Gen 47:20-12). This can’t be used as a model for storing up against hard times. Jesus clearly told us not to worry about these things but to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness and God would provide for us. (Matt. 6:25-34)