Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired help. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.
Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."
Angered by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.
Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
You can already feel the first raindrops on your face. The clouds are gathering and the storm is coming. You can’t stop it or wish it away. You are about to deal with something you never thought you would or could ever get through. Trials, diagnoses, lay-offs, betrayal, divorce... the list goes on. The storms of life rage and all we can do is hope to endure.
Or is there more? What if we could anticipate trials and be ready for them? What if we knew that no matter what happened, we had everything tied down? What if we didn’t have to live afraid of what might be and could enjoy what is?
Today’s verse talks about just that... being prepared. It says that “Wise people treasure knowledge” The writer meant much more than just what you see there. He was saying that those that are prepared for what’s coming are those that keep, process, and apply what they learn. These are the people who read God saying “I will never leave you nor forsake you” ... and keep it in their heart. These are the people who hear about the cross and remember that what Jesus went through during the crucifixion was for them... and that He knows our pain... and that He paid the price for our sin through it. They know that God offers 17th chances... that we won’t always understand why things happen but will always know Who will see us through... and they know that even though they walk through a valley, like David, they won’t be walking alone.
Knowledge is much more than facts. Treasuring and remembering what you know prepares you for the storms of life. It ties down what might blow around in the winds of uncertainty and fear. What you do with what you know prepares you for what’s to come.
