"Go to the ant, o sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gather’s her provision in the harvest.
How long will you lie down, o sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. And your poverty will come in like a vagabond".
God says He doesn’t want us to be sluggards. But to watch the ant, One of the smallest creatures that He has created and learn from it.
There is much we can learn just from watching God’s creation.
The English word for sluggard comes from the word slug, which is a slimy creature that is found in places that are high in humidity.
There are wormlike and may sometimes have a shell attached to its back or no shell at all.
1. When a person is called a slug it’s usually because he likes easy money, the easy lifestyle, lazy, taking advantage of the misfortune of others.
2. Slugs retreat into their shells or under a rock when danger comes.
- They have no backbone.
- They are scared little slimy creatures. "God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind".
3. They are slimy.
- When this is said about a person its because they are not trustworthy.
- They lie, cheat and manipulate every situation to come out on top. They don’t like loosing.
4. Slugs move by crawling, swimming, or floating with currents (they go with the flow)
- It moves about 23 inches an hour.
- Wherever the snail goes it leaves a trail of slime.
5. They eat living and decaying plants.
- We are to eat the word of God, which is alive and nourishes our spiritual bodies.
* Heb. 4:12 says: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword".
6. Slugs are nocturnal animals which means they are more active at night
- Like Slugs sluggards like to sleep while others are working.
- Sluggards expect everyone else to do their work (verse 9 says; how long will you sleep oh sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?)
- Their attitude is; "A little sleep, a little dozing off, a little folding of the hands, to sleep"(which is a well known posture for a person ready to go to sleep)
- Their attitude is another five minutes, a beauty rest, a short nap.
- While he is sleeping poverty is coming upon him like a prowler.
7. Sluggards are always dreaming of wealth but often end up poor because they rather sleep and take it easy instead of working.
* Proverbs 13:4 says that; ¡§the soul of the sluggard desires and has nothing¡¨
* Hebrews 6:12 tells us; ¡§ not to be slothful or lazy, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises¡¨
8. The sluggard is also good at excuses;
* Prov. 20:4 says "He will not plow because its cold".
* Prov.26:13 He says; "I cant go to work, there is a lion in the streets, He puts his hand on his belly and is to tired to bring it to his mouth again" .
- No one wants to hire me, My leg hurts, my back hurts, I got a headache, so many excuses.
The Ant; Ants are members of the family of social insects meaning that they live in organized colonies.
1. The tiny ant Is an example to the sluggard. It’s the hardest working of all the insects.
- We are also called to be examples to others.
- Paul told Timothy a young preacher in 1 Tim. 4:12; "Let no man despise your youth, but you be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in love in spirit, in faith and in purity". (and so are we to be examples)
2. The tiny ant doesn’t need someone pushing her to do what it has been created to do.
- Out of instinct she; "Provides her food in the summer and gathers her supplies in the harvest time".
- No one needs to be telling her what to do, she just does it.
- We have been created to have fellowship with our creator (James 4:8 says; "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you".
- We have been created to worship and praise him(no one should have to tell us to do this things)
- Heb.13:5 says; "Let us therefore offer sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name".
- God wants us to have fellowship with one another (1 *John 1:7 says; "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son cleanses us from all sin".
3. Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight.
- (God gives us the ability to carry each others burdens) and will not give us more than what we can bare.
- If we are going through something is because He knows that we can take it.
4. Work together for the good of everyone in the community.
- The abdomen of the ant contains two stomachs. One stomach holds the food for itself and second stomach is for food to be shared with other ants.
- During their growth stage, the immature ants are fed, cleaned and attended by adult workers. (Mature Christians should feed the word to young Christians so that they can grow)
5. They fight to the death to protect themselves, the young and their homes.
- Each colony of ants has its own smell. In this way, intruders can be recognized immediately. (If it smells like a rat it¡¦s most likely a rat)
- God has given us the spirit of discernment
*1 Corint. 2:14 says; "But the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolish unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that He may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ".
- Many ants such as the common Red species have a sting, which they use to defend their nest. (We have the sword of the Spirit)
6. Everyone among them has a definite job to do.
- The job of the queen is to lay eggs
- The worker ants look after the eggs, look for food, look after the young, and defend the nest from unwanted visitors.
- Some worker ants are given the job of taking the rubbish from the nest and putting it outside in a special rubbish dump!
- We are all members of the body with a specific function
7. If a man could run as fast for his size as an ant can, he could run as fast as a racehorse.
8. They work intelligently.
- An ant brain has about 250 000 brain cells.
- A human brain has 10,000 million so a colony of 40,000 ants has collectively the same size brain as a human.
9. The ant has two eyes, each eye is made of many smaller eyes. They have a wide open view of their world. Likewise we are to have vision.
Conclusion;
It takes hard work and determination to be like the ant. Let us learn from this little creature to put to use all of our abilities so that we can be instrumental in God’s kingdom.
