During this past year, I have read numerous articles and heard numerous news accounts about the Y2K bug.  Extremists on one side are playing the fear card, often for personal gain, to try to panic people.  Extremists on the other side try to ignore the problem, or respond by claiming absolutely nothing will happen.  I don’t believe either position is correct.  While I don’t think there will be a cataclysmic event that will change life as we know it, I do believe there will be some problems that may affect many of us, even if only temporarily.

    As I have pondered the situation, I have thought more and more about the verse which is printed above.  This verse instructs us in two important areas - preparation and precaution.  And it applies to life in general, not just the Y2K problem.

    It is not wrong to prepare for the future.  The Psalmist speaks of building a house.  That is not a bad or evil activity. It is prudent and proper preparation for the future  To me it speaks of all the things we are to do in this life.  We are to use our resources and opportunities to accomplish them to the best of our ability.

    Nor is it wrong to try to take precautions to protect what we have.  The watchman of this verse is not someone who should not be there.  His presence does not indicate a failure of faith.  It is right and proper to take precautions to prevent the loss of what we have.

    It is important to note that the verse does not say, “Don’t build a house, let the Lord take care of it.  Don’t take precautions, just trust the Lord.”  Some folks seem to say this, but that is not what this verse says.  We are to make preparation.  We are to take precautions.  But there is more to do.

    The problem in both instances is that we often make preparation and take precautions without taking the Lord into account.  We tend to do things in our own strength and ability, thinking that is enough.  But the best preparation is not enough if we leave God out.  He has a plan for every life and everything in life.  We need to consciously search for His leadership as we work.

    Nor can the best precautionary measures protect us from loss if we do not include the Lord in those plans, actively searching for His counsel for precautions to take, and actively trusting Him to take care of us and what we have.

    We are called on to do our best in every area of life.  But “except the Lord build” and “except the Lord keep” we are really wasting our time.