26 January | Youth
«The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer.» Proverbs 30:25
Have you ever heard of the smallest quartet in the world? This is fantastic because the Bible says that its components are wiser than the wise. They do not sing or play musical instruments. Allow me to introduce them to you: the ant, the rabbit, the grasshopper and the lizard. This formation is a creation of the wise Agur, described in Proverbs 30:24 to 28. Today we will see that the ant, this small animal, can teach us great lessons.
Ants are fascinating insects. It is estimated that there are around 7,500 different species, which live in colonies with up to 600,000 inhabitants. They really dominate the planet! A few years ago, researchers found a gigantic colony that occupies all of southern Europe, stretching for over 6,000 kilometers. Ants are a symbol of strength, perseverance and teamwork.
Despite being small, they can, for example, carry objects up to 50 times heavier than their own body. Furthermore, they have an advanced engineering and communication system. However, another characteristic caught the attention of the wise Agur: ants make provisions for times of crisis.
During the summer (which could symbolize the good times), the ants chew the leaves they carry to the nest and regurgitate a type of pulp, which will be used to grow fungi, the colony's true food. As ants have two stomachs, imagine the “production line” of an army of workers!
Making provision for the future is a powerful lesson we learn with these insects; something observed millennia ago by the Greek writer Aesop, in the famous story “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” Joseph of Egypt also discovered, by divine instruction, that he must store food before the famine came (Gen 41:35, 36).
And you, do you make provisions for the future? Are you prepared for the financial, emotional and spiritual crises that may arise? Jesus warned us, in the parable of the ten virgins, that we must have extra oil, that is, we need to develop intimacy with Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell daily in our heart. Do you make this provision? Get ready because, sooner or later, the crisis will arrive. Today, learn from the ants.