At one of the
churches where I was on staff, we had a large paved parking lot. I
was going out to the car one day and my eye noticed a medium sized
ant carrying a piece of something that was about 5 times bigger than
the ant. I don't know exactly where it was going but wherever it
was, it had to be a very long way for the ant. I kind of felt sorry
for the little critter but was amazed and proud at the same time
because the ant was taking his treasure home wherever that was. I
never knew if it made it but kind of hope that it got there
eventually. Each generation seems to have it easier than the one
before. I had to bale hay when I was a kid. The farmer had the
bales set to about sixty pounds and I could barely get them up to the
wagon bed. That's why I drove the tractor that pulled the wagon. We
had one farmer that assisted us who was a giant of a man whose first
name was “Leo.” His last name was Polish and I have no idea how
to spell it. He could hoist a 90 pound bale up to the top of the
wagon load of hay which would get up to about 5 layers. All of the
loaders would walk the entire field hoisting the large bales on to
the wagon and then, eventually to the barn where they would get them
into the hay mow for winter storage. Proverbs 6:6-8 says, “Go
to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which
having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the
summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.”
Some work is
really physically demanding. It may be like the working of the hay
fields or it may be like the little ant that was struggling to get
his prize to his home. Ants prepare for the future while the
grasshopper lives for the present and provides nothing for the
future. The Book of Proverbs often speaks about and to the “lazy”
person. The perpetual procrastinator wants to wait until tomorrow to
do something and will not take advantage of the time that he or she
has during this day. This easily gets applied to spiritual things
because we have that notion that we can begin our spiritual matter
tomorrow when we start a new day. Oh, we have time today to begin
it, but our thinking is that we will begin it when we have a fresh
start and so make the plans but then find out that God had something
else planned for you on the morrow. If God has placed a burden upon
you today, it is best to take care of it today than to wait until a
more convenient time. God often gives us lessons from nature whether
it be the ant, the wood duck or the goose, they all have spiritual
lessons in the way that they do things. A hard worker may sometimes
be referred to as an “eager beaver.” Are you putting something
off for a more convenient time when you could and perhaps should get
it done today? God gives us lessons through His Word with the
lion, the lamb, the wolf, the fox, the asp and even the ant. Take
heed to the lessons that He gives and praise Him today for His Word.
As Paul said to the Ephesians, “Redeem the time.”
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