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One of the greatest lessons the Bible teaches us is that obedience will help you find the favor of God even in the most drastic situation. We find this to be truth in both the stories of Noah and of Joseph, where their righteousness and faithfulness to the Lord brought them blessings when all seemed hopeless.
In one of the worst famines Egypt ever saw, Joseph’s favor with God led him to favor with Pharaoh. Through a dream, Joseph was able to convince Pharaoh and his people to prepare for seven years of lack, while Noah and his family, through adherence to godly wisdom, was able to prepare for the worst natural disaster the earth has ever seen.
Some kingdom leaders say that with rising food costs and food shortages worldwide, we are already witnessing the beginning of birth pains mentioned in the Bible.
And with Thanksgiving a little more than two weeks away, many are fretting over a shortage of turkeys—the staple of any Thanksgiving table—in America.
CNBC is reporting that, due to the ongoing spread of bird flu, the supply of turkeys available to the general public continues to dwindle each day, not to mention the price of the bird is skyrocketing. Yahoo finance is reporting that turkeys may cost more than $6.70 a pound this holiday season.
That is a whopping 112% increase over 2021. Bird flu typically spreads during the colder months, but commercial turkey producers were reporting cases of avian flu in July, a time when farmers are raising flocks for the holiday season, CNBC reported. The avian flu has claimed more than 6 million turkeys this year.
End-times expert Michael Snyder, in his blog endoftheamericandream.com, says “The good news, if you want to call it that, is that you will still probably be able to get a turkey if you are willing to pay enough. The bad news is that supplies of turkey just keep getting tighter and tighter.”
And it’s not just the chaos surrounding turkeys that could upset your traditional Thanksgiving meal. It is now being reported that we are also facing butter and flour shortages in the weeks ahead. The USDA is urging consumers not to “panic buy” butter so that there is enough to go around for everyone.
The comfort and enjoyment of the Thanksgiving holiday with family won’t be seen by many as a Norman Rockwell painting, as it has in the past. Thanksgiving Day feasts will certainly look a lot different than in previous years.
You may want to try these tips to ease your anxiety about your Thanksgiving Day meal:
- Look for deals. Some major grocery chains, like Walmart and Aldi, are offering deals to draw in shoppers.
- Think of substitutions for the traditional products for the meal. A roast or a ham could replace the turkey.
- Eat out. Sounds crazy, but if all else fails, it could be a less expensive venture.
Think of it this way: The inconvenience of not having a turkey or butter for your Thanksgiving meal pales in comparison to what Joseph and Noah went through. Remember that when you sit down to give God thanks for what He has done for you.
Genesis 41:34-36; 47-49; 53-54 reads:
“Joseph said: ‘Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt that the land may not perish during the famine.’ Now in the seven plentiful years the ground brought forth abundantly. So, he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; he laid up in every city the food of the fields which surrounded them. Joseph gathered very much grain, as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable. Then the seven years of plenty, which were in the land of Egypt ended, and the seven years of famine began to come, as Joseph had said. The famine was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.”
In this article by comformingtojesus.com, it says that Joseph focused his preparedness efforts on stocking up on food in preparation for the coming famine to ensure survival.
Noah focused his preparedness efforts on building the ark for shelter first and then stocking up on food and water in preparation for the coming emergency to ensure survival.
Genesis 6:18-22 reads:
“I (God) will establish My covenant with you (Noah); and you shall go into the Ark—you, your sons, your wife and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the Ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.”
You will survive if you and your family don’t enjoy a turkey this Thanksgiving. Consider it to be a minor annoyance compared to what Joseph and Noah were faced with.
Indeed, count your blessings.{eoa}
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charismamedia.com.
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