Time To Fatten Up

Carpe Diem is a Latin phrase that means, "seize the day." I sense that we are in a unique moment in time where we need to take advantage of it in a spiritual sense. Spurgeon once said, "hoist the sail when the breeze is favorable, and times of refreshing ought not to pass over us unimproved." In some ways the season we are in, is similar to one that is found in the book of Genesis. Here is part of a dream that was told to Joseph the son of Jacob, by Pharoah ruler of Egypt:

Genesis 41:17-21 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. "Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
"Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.

Jospeh would go on to interpret the dream, telling Pharoah that 7 good years would be followed by 7 bad years, those bad years would  be so severe they would swallow up the 7 good years as if they never happened.

Joseph then advises Pharoah that to avoid catastrophe he should use the 7 good years to store up as much as he can, and in that way, he would survive what was coming. Pharoah listened to Joseph and appointed him in charge of the storing up. Not only was Egypt saved, but the fledgling Jewish nation wound up being saved during the 7 famine years by going to Egypt and getting food.

The point of this story for us, is that I believe, we are in a season of calm before the storm. It is a time to pray more, not less. A time to attend church more not less, a time to give more, not less. It is time to fatten up spiritually for what is ahead of us. Jesus clearly told us near the time of His return there would be 5 wise and 5 foolish. The wise are not those who stored up food, or hid money, but those who had their lamps filled with the oil of the Spirit. 

Every fall bears that hibernate fill themselves as much as they can to prepare for the winter ahead. It is such a time. Fatten up now, the time is coming when you will need to draw from the reserves you put away now. The church is going to face a season of testing such as never was before. To him that hath will more be given, and he that hath not, even what he has will be taken away. Little faith will not see you through what is coming. Time in His presence, and in His word are two things for which there are no spiritual substitutes.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly. The world asks, "can your retire on what you have laid aside?" The age in which we are living asks, "can you survive on the spiritual stores you have laid up?"

Fasten your seatbelts, we are in for a crazy ride. Keep your fire burning.