Consider the Ant
Daily Reading: (Proverbs 6:6-8):
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8).
Did you know that Scripture tells us to consider the ants (Proverbs 6:6-8)?Take a moment and marvel at how incredible they truly are. Here are some amazing ant facts:
- There are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world.
- An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight.
- Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies!
- Ants don’t have ears. Ants “hear” by feeling vibrations in the ground through their feet.
- When ants fight, it is usually to the death!
- When foraging, ants leave a pheromone trail so that they know where they’ve been.
- Ants don’t have lungs. Oxygen enters through tiny holes all over the body and carbon dioxide leaves through the same holes.[1]
Proverbs 6 shows us how God views these amazing creatures He has made.
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!”What is a sluggard anyway? In the Hebrew the word (atsel) means sluggish or lazy. When it comes to the provisions of God don’t be lazy, look all around you, see it, take hold of it, and use it to prepare you for the seasons ahead (Proverbs 6:6-8).
The text says, “It has no commander,no overseer or ruler.”This reminded me of another verse in Scripture: “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23). Be like the ant. If you are working for the Lord, oh the things you can accomplish, oh the obstacles you can overcome (Colossians 3:23).
Even the mundane tasks at work, do it as unto the Lord. You will receive your reward from the Lord, not your boss. When you do it unto the Lord, He sees and rewards. Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Matthew 25:21: “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’” I believe those who are diligent like the ant with their time on earth are going to be entrusted to an awful lot of great stuff in heaven. What joy!
The text tells us that if we consider the ways of the ants, we would be wise (Proverbs 6:6) The ant is diligent and has initiative. It knows that it has to consistently prepare for the future. It doesn’t procrastinate or wait until the last minute to prepare its provisions. That’s the practical life wisdom we can learn from the ant. The provisions God has given you today, how super abundantly blessed we are, (taking care of our needs) also propel us forward into what plans He wants to accomplished in and through us. God’s supply doesn’t run out, it is consistent and constant and like the ant we should be diligent in spending time with our Savior receiving from Him so we are prepared to move forward by faith into the prosperous path He is leading us forward in.
[1] Ants: Fun Facts About Ants & Ant Information For Kids. https://www.pestworldforkids.org/pest-guide/ants/
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