Food insurance

We often complain about insurance. When the premiums are calculated for a
ten-
year period for auto insurance, for example, a sizable sum emerges. In that
ten-year period a good driver may never have submitted one claim. All that
money spent on premiums is down the drain, right? In a sense, yes, but what
if
... Insurance is based on events that may or may not happen, but in a
crisis a
person without insurance will find himself in a serious bind.

When I recently heard on the radio about "food insurance", I was puzzled.
Were
they offering to insure the food that I have in my house? No, in this case,
they're proposing to ensure that I have food in the event of a catastrophe.
Food that has been dehydrated or freeze-dried has a long shelf life. Some
companies that deal in these commodities claim they will last for 25 years.

I can see the wisdom in having preserved food on hand. If you live in an
area
that is prone to tornadoes or flooding, disruptions in the supply chain can
last
for several days. Finding supplies or even drinkable water can be a serious
challenge.

The prices of these food packs are quite high, though. One package
advertised
contains over 3,700 entrees as well as solid fuel for food preparation and a
water filtration system. The price tag is a cool $10,000 dollars! I don't
believe I could survive my normal bills if I laid out that kind of money!
(There are smaller, less expensive packages sold, of course.)

I'll leave it to you to decide if this concept is for you. As for me, I
entered
into a different kind of food insurance program several years ago. Let me
explain.

Jesus addressed the issue of worries and fears in the Sermon on the Mount.
Here
are some of His comments that pertain to our subject: "Therefore I say to
you,
do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor
about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the
body
more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor
reap
nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of
more
value than they?" (Matthew 6:25,26).

Don't misunderstand Jesus' point: He is not telling us to sit back, do
nothing
and wait for the Father to feed us. "The Lord helps those who help
themselves"
is not a phrase to be found in the Bible, but the concept can be; consider
Proverbs 20:4, for one example. No, God still expects us to do what we're
able
to do. Preparing for the future should be the norm for each of us. To an
extent.

But isn't there a point at which our fear of the unknown future infringes on
our
trust in God's known promise to do good for us? Listen again to that
promise,
as stated by Jesus: "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). Re-read those words - "the
Father's good pleasure". God delights in doing good things for His
children.

Difficult times will come, even if we are God's children. But we have
promises
for such times (like this beautiful one in 1 Corinthians 10:13) that others
don't have. At the end of the day, when I've done what I'm able, I can
relax
and know that God is watching out for me. What a gift!

Timothy D. Hall