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Ready For Anything

So as I'm reading through Exodus, I came across something that made me think twice. After God put the total beat down on Pharaoh and the Israelites were on their way to freedom, we read of an inside glimpse of God's thinking. We're told that God did not lead the Israelites through Philistine country because God thought if they faced war, they might cry and go back to Egypt. (Of course, if God was looking to avoid crying, He probably should have chosen another group.)

God leads the people down toward the Red Sea specifically so they will not face war. This makes the next line confusing. "The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle" (Exodus 13:18). Why are they armed for battle? Couldn't God have seen them getting their armor on and told them there would be no need?

Or...

If you have the Type-A mom, surely you've experienced getting ready for a trip. The packing list comes out and everybody has a checklist. Clothing, toiletry, books to read, games to occupy, medicines, etc. And this is just for a day-trip. If you're going for a week, it'll probably take another week to have all that you need packed. In my house, at least for the last 8 years, you can add to the above list the following; diapers, wipes, movies, movie player, snacks, drinks, extra clothes, moist towelettes, strollers, hats, gloves, coats, boots, skis, sleds and more. It didn't matter if the trip was in December or June, we had to be prepared.

Because as the Type-A mom knows, there's nothing worse than getting everybody to the beach and then not having enough shovels for everyone. Maybe this is what God was doing with the Israelites. I'm not saying God is Type-A, but perhaps He wanted them to be prepared for anything.

Are you prepared for anything God may have for you this week? Being prepared won't necessarily mean packing stuff for all seasons, but it could mean arming yourself to be ready for spiritual attacks. I don't know. You don't know. That's why it helps to be ready for anything.
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