The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV)

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,

And will be secure, without fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:33 (NKJV)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)

Mark Burnett has become a very successful television producer with several hit shows to his credit one of which is the show Survivor. Now in its fourth season this television series has definitely found an audience. Not being much of a Survivor fan I have not watched many episodes of the series but this season I have been recording the shows to later review, it is to one of these episodes that I wish to address my comments this month.

This season we find the two tribes separated on an island without any means of support or shelter or food or anything just ones wits and wisdom. The challenge was to build a shower to win a reward which would be a fully prepared shelter in the wilderness in which to get out of the weather and a place to wash up and be clean or in other words a simple home. Up to this point the two tribes have been basically shielding themselves from the weather with poorly constructed lean-tos. Winning this challenge would certainly be worth the effort. Each tribe set out to build themselves a crude but effective bathroom on the island. The challenge was completed and one tribe had won while the other had lost. The loosing tribe waited around all day for the boat to arrive from HOME DEPOT that was supposed to come before sunset if they were the winning tribe. The sun was setting and no sign of a boat. Finally the tribe realized that they had lost the challenge and would not be getting the fully built custom shelter on the island and they would have to once again make do with what they had.

By the time of this challenge the tribes had already spent a couple weeks on this island. I got to thinking, hadn’t anyone from the tribes looked for a cave or other rock shelter to escape the weather? I no sooner thought this than there was a storm on the island. The loosing tribe started off, in the dark, in the rain, into the jungle, with no hiking shoes on their feet nor lanterns or flashlights to lead the way, trying to find of all things a CAVE. I thought this was rather foolish and comical and showed a total lack of preparation. Why would they wait till the storm to seek shelter? Why would they wait till dark before heading off to find a safe and secure place to be out of the elements? Why hadn’t they sought out a better place to lodge then the rather basic lean-tos they had constructed? Survivor, like many of the other programs of this genre, describes themselves as REALITY TV shows. They videotape people put into strange and unusual circumstances and record the actions or inaction of the participants. As viewers watch the playback of these events one can place themselves in similar circumstances and ponder what they would or would not do.

There are a few points I want to make as I pondered this particular episode. First I watched as each team entered their challenge thinking that they had done the best possible job and that they were sure to win. The pride in their efforts was evident on each team as they built their crude bathrooms in the wilderness. The loosing team was so confident of their abilities that they didn’t even bother to look for other accommodations for they knew surely that they had to have won the challenge. They sat and waited all day into the night for the return of the promised reward only to be disappointed when the boat did not arrive. Not only where they disappointed but also they were ill prepared for the nasty weather that was coming upon them that evening. Because they did not feel they had to look for shelter but rather trusted in their own abilities they were caught unprepared in the time of the storm.

Second I noticed the tendency of the groups to follow after the strongest leader regardless of that persons proven abilities to lead or not. If someone steps forward and says I know how to do this then the others follow in step believing the person can do what they said they can do. Only at the time of the reward do they realize that the leader was not as good at doing what they said they could do after all. Having to suffer the punishment of a bad storm and not being prepared for it because of putting your trust in the wrong leader was a hard lesson to have to endure.

Third I noticed the tendency to not think through the future ramifications of each day to day activity. It was as if the people who were participating in this program where only concerned about getting through any given day and not thinking into the future of how are they going to survive beyond that 24 hour period. Until the group was presented with better accommodations their crude structures seemed adequate. Only when promised a fully built wooden structure did they realize how poorly they had prepared for their stay on the island. Only after loosing the challenge did the loosing team realize they had not sought out alternate housing. Now that they were in the storm their realized they had not prepared for a storm. They all started to fight and argue with on another but up to this point no one had sought to seek out an alternative. They were all ill prepared and yet they were blaming each other for the mess they were in. It’s his fault or her fault or someone else’s fault but never is it my fault.

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:37-39,42-44

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles Ish 40:31