If an Ant Can Do It

Saturday - November 20th

Scripture to Read Today: Proverbs 6:6-11

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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

My wife, Lesli, absolutely hates ants. The few times they have gotten into our home, she goes to war with them to drive them out. She has no time for them whatsoever!

A few years ago, we had a box of donuts on the counter in our kitchen. In the layout of our house, the kitchen is at the back of the house. We woke up one morning to find a line of ants flowing two-by-two almost army-like from our front door, up to the ceiling, across the living room and dining room to the kitchen, and down a cupboard till they reached the donuts. There were two side-by-side lines of ants. One going to the box of donuts. The other going away from it. Both crossed the length of our house.

Lesli found the whole thing disgusting. I, on the other hand, admired how God had created these tiny creatures. Their discovery of the donuts, mobilization of thousands of their comrades, and the keen organization with which they carried out their mission impressed me. While I wanted to observe them more, Lesli wanted them annihilated. So, we set out on a mission to destroy them and drive them out.

Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us to look to the ant to learn a lesson for planning now and saving for later. The ants gather food and store it up for a later. The Lord wants us to plan and save. Financial wisdom includes setting aside funds for later needs.

As you manage the financial resources God provides you, be intentional about planning for later needs and rainy days. God often provides what we need for today and tomorrow. We need to exercise wisdom as we both spend and save.

Like the ants, we should use what God gives us to plan for both known and unknown needs we will face in the future.