I have always known the Boys Scout motto as “Be Prepared”, and while it is easy to assume its simple meaning as always being ready, out of curiosity, I googled it to know the organization’s true intent. According to the first chief scout of the movement, Lieut. Gen. Baden Powell C.B. The motto means to always be in “a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty. To have disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment and are willing to do it.”
When
I read this description, the picture that came to mind was the prophetess
Huldah. She was mentioned only twice in the Bible in 2nd Kings 22 and
2nd Chronicles 34, and it was the same story told twice. She was a prophet,
and some theology says she was the wife of the keeper of the king’s wardrobe. It's
safe to assume Huldah had her heart stayed on God’s Word because when King Josiah wanted to know what The Lord was saying, he sent
men to inquire, and these men went to Huldah. She immediately answered them
with “Thus says the Lord God……” and her words helped the king to repent and destroy
idolatry in Judah.
This
event is remarkable for me because females were not often publicly regarded in such
positions in this era, but the men sent by the king to inquire of The Lord knew
she was the one to go to for answers. There were no mentions of Huldah before
this event, she wasn’t in the spotlight, dwelled in Jerusalem, and was supposedly
always in the temple but they sought her out for the answers they needed.
The
Bible does not specify that they waited days to get her response, when the men
came to her for answers, she boldly confirmed God’s word. Huldah stayed knowing
the heart of God on matters that directly concerned her or others. Most of us can
fall into the trap of being selfish with our prayers, it is not a sin or an
intentional action, life happens, and we are stuck on seeking God’s help or
opinion about a situation we find ourselves in but as children of God, He will
sometimes speak to us or take us through an experience which will be primarily
for and about others. Huldah most likely prayed for her country because the
king wanted to know God’s decision for the nation and that’s what she told
them.
Recently
I was speaking to a friend, I do not even recall what led to that topic, but I
remember being led to tell him that as Christians we need to learn to sit at
the fountain, and not just come occasionally to drink water when we get thirsty.
Our Christian walk is a way of life, not a performance. We don’t take off the
clothes of holiness to do regular non-spiritual activities. Even in our state
of rest or doing mundane activities like eating, chatting with friends, and
exercising, God can still reach us, so we must remain in tune with Him and be
ready to do what is required.
The
message Huldah gave the men who came to her did not just get downloaded into
her spirit when they arrived at her place. She knew God’s Word and intentions long
before she was asked. I even imagined she may not have been praying when they
got to her, the Bible didn’t specify anything about that, but I believe she
stayed ready. Just like the scout’s movement says, Huldah was always in a state
of readiness in mind and body to do her duty of obeying God. She remained disciplined
in every season, she wasn’t caught by surprise, she was willing and did the
right thing when the moment came.
I
pray we all learn from Prophet Huldah’s life and be prepared for what God wants
of us. We should ask Him to help us be open and ready always.
