“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
Little Giants
Athletes can fret about playing on a small-market team, fume about another player making the all-star team, or they can get busy doing their best and maximizing their ability and opportunities.
Whether we are athletes, coaches or fans, we can learn from ants. Ants are little but they can do a lot. These little insects surprise us when we watch them carry a stick which weighs 50 times more than they do. Ants don’t waste time wishing they were bigger. Each tiny ant is busy doing their work and they don’t stop until the job is done. In the Bible, God says, “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).
Though Israel is a small nation, God designed an amazing plan for Israel to continue as a people until the end of time in spite of all odds. God spoke about Israel being little in number but large in importance: “The Lord did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath He swore to your ancestors that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).
According to God’s perfect wisdom, He commanded the Israelites to bring the Scriptures to the whole world. Since God is invisible, He designed the Holy Bible to speak to people about Himself so that we would know more about God and have the hope of eternal life: “…the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen” (Romans 9:4-5). If we didn’t have the little nation of Israel, then we wouldn’t have the Bible or Jesus.
In churches today, many people yearn for the time when more people came to church, and they fret and fume in frustration. Are we going to whine about our small numbers or are we going to get busy like the little ant? If we spend all our time whining, then it is unlikely we will win more people to Christ. As Jesus took 12 people and started churches in many places, we can do a lot with a small group of people and little resources if we set our mind to serve the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully and fervently by faith.
Are we doing our best for the Lord?
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Ga.
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