Today in the Word DevotionalWhen I was young, I received an “Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm” as a birthday gift. I can still picture the narrow green frame with plastic viewing panes to observe live ants creating a colony. I spent hours watching the ants construct tunnels, transport food, and work as a team to build their community. While we might think of ants as merely a nuisance, my simple ant farm proved otherwise.
The Bible uses the ant to teach life lessons. Proverbs 6:6 instructs, “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” Proverbs 30:25 observes, “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.” The author of Proverbs urges the “sluggard” or lazy person to take note of the ant’s diligent ways. The ant’s self-motivation and excellent work ethic is an example to follow. By storing food during the summer, the ant is caring for future needs. We too are to work hard and think ahead.
The ant, a small but mighty insect, urges us to a strong work ethic. Ants do not have supervisors or parents pushing them to work. Whether it is our job, studies, or even our roles in the home or church, we can draw inspiration from the ant who knows its tasks and performs them steadfastly and faithfully. How do we react to tasks that require sustained effort and commitment?
The ant’s example should motivate us to manage our resources wisely so we will be well prepared for future needs. We should cultivate habits that will sustain us during challenging times. This includes not only saving money but also learning new skills and deepening our walk with the Lord through prayer and study of God’s Word. Colossians 3:23 echoes this lesson, saying: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
While you and I might think of ants as merely a nuisance, they're actually quite remarkable. With today in the word, I'm John Gager. The Bible uses the ant to teach us life lessons. Today, in the word we read in Proverbs six verse six. Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider its ways and be wise. Proverbs 30 verse 25 observes, ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer. The author of Proverbs urges the sluggard or lazy person to take note of the ants diligent ways. The ants self-motivation and tireless work ethic is an example to follow. By storing food during the summer, the ant is caring for future needs. We too are to work hard and think ahead. The ant, a small but mighty insect, urges us to a strong work ethic. Ants do not have supervisors or parents pushing them to work, whether it's our job studies or even our roles in the home or church. We can draw inspiration from the ant that knows its tasks and performs them steadfastly and faithfully. The ant's example should motivate us to manage our resources wisely, to be well prepared for future needs. You and I should cultivate habits that sustain us during challenging times. This includes not only saving money, but learning new skills and deepening our walk with the Lord through prayer and study of God's Word. Colossians three verse 23 echoes this lesson, saying, whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men. Well, speaking of cultivating good habits, I think that today in the word app will help you do that. It's free at Google Play or the App Store, and you'll find this free resource again at Google Play or the App Store. Just look for today in the word.
