Prov. 30:24-28
Ants, Conies, locusts, and spiders. Four of the most amazing little evangelist’s heaven ever employed to deliver a very personal and eternal message to all of us here.
Prov 30:24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
{1} they are all little. {2} they are all wise.
Vs. 25 the ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer; Solomon here declares that the ants prepare their food in the summer.
Prov 6:6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
What is the message of the ant? Prepare to meet the Lord for when winter comes, it will be too late.
A. They are little and they are not strong by our way of measuring but they are wise enough to look ahead and prepare for their winter.
When I was growing up, we had a popular story that was required reading in schools, “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” Of course, the lesson was that if you spend all summer playing and not working, and then when winter comes you will not be prepared as the ant was. The ant seems to have that great concept of the future, and wisely knows that there is a time for storing up for the future.
What is a typical perspective on time?
1. The past as “the good ol’ days.”
2. “Live for today,” taking no thought for anything other than the present moment.
3. And I hear so many people who tend to put off the future because they have too many other things to do first
B. Here are these little creatures. We step over them by the hundreds even thousands and never pay attention to them. (Unless they become pest). However, look at them - watch them - they are teaching us a valuable lesson. PREPARE.
Some say that you can compare live to the four seasons of weather.
1. Spring is birth and youthful years.
2. Summer is the manhood and maturity years.
3. Autumn is the old age and the declining years.
4. Winter is death and inevitable judgment that follows.
C. For you and I to live through the spring of our life, then, through the summer of our life, then, through the fall of our life, and make no preparation for your eternity - makes you 10 million times more ignorant than the Grasshopper.
There is the cold winter of death that is coming. You had better have made preparation for the winter of eternity and have laid up supplies on that side.
Matt. 6:19-21 do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal. But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
E. Man makes preparation for the physical aspect of live. We build $300,000.00 homes to dwell in. - We will spend any amount we can get to preserve this fleshly house which at best can make it 100 years (only a drop of water in the sea of eternity). Yet so many make no preparation for their eternity. No preparation for the endless ages of eternity, only for the few fleeting moments of time.
2 Kings 20:1 A message was sent by the prophet Isaiah to Hezekiah, the king of Israel, saying to get your house in order for you shall die and live no more.
How would you respond? Hezekiah prayed and God answered.
Jer 8:20 the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Heb. 9:27 says, “And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment”
The Big question today is not when is death coming but will you be ready when it comes?
Pastor asked his congregation how many people want to go to heaven and every hand went up except one little boy in the front row. Pastor asked the boy “don’t you want to go to heaven?” The boys reply was, “Yes sir I really do but I thought you were getting a bunch of us ready to go right now.”
There is something fearful about death. Most people really do not want to talk about death but the facts are, a child of God need never be afraid of death and his appointed time to the grave.
F. JOB Sadist funeral. 7 sons and 3 daughters all die in one day. Can’t measure the grief he must have felt. All laid to rest into mother earth.
Job asked God if a man dies shall he live again? A question many of us have asked. Job had to know and suddenly God gave him an Easter morning vision of Jesus.
AS ALL THE ANGELS CRIED IN VICTORY AND THE ONE WHO LIVED TO DEFIE DEATH AND DIED TO DEFEAT IT, ROSE AGAIN TO DESTROY DEATH. HE STOOD BEFORE THE WORLD HOLDING THE KEYS SAYING, “I AM HE WHICH LIVETH AND WAS DEAD AND BEHOLD I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE AND I HAVE THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HELL AND THE GRAVE TO SET MAN FREE.”
G. When you finally come to realize this then you will be able to say as Paul says, “O death where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?”
Little boy came home from S.S. after learning the 23 Psalms and said, “I’m not afraid anymore”. Mon said,”Why aren’t you afraid of the valley anymore?” He said, “Because the teacher said Jesus went through the valley and turned on all the lights.” No more darkness.
H. Since Easter Sunday morning, death is just a lighted underpass and a quick exit into the eternal presence of Jesus.
The ant prepares for the winter months.
How do we get ready for the inevitable?
How can we prepare for our destination with winter?
1. Pray and ask the Lord into your heart.
2. Live for Him
3. Work for Him
Come to know the Lord before the winter. Come to know Him before the fall; come to know him in your summer months of opportunity or your spring months of hope.
COME TO KNOW JESUS NOW. DON’T PUT IT OF ANY LONGER.
REMEMBER THE WISEST THING A PERSON CAN DO IN THIS LIFE IS TO PREPARE TO MEET GOD.
