Ants and Slugs

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. Proverbs 6:6-11 KJV

Intro:

Reading this verse of scripture today we find two contrasting personalities:

1. There is the ant or the wise and diligent

2. And the sluggard who is sleepy and unconcerned.

The latter I would like to discuss first.

The Sluggard:

The word sluggard = originates from the word slug or slug like.

• Sluggish= slow unmotivated and uncaring of the future. No zeal or vision.
• Slimy= It is generally meant that one is sneaky and underhanded, untrustworthy, lies and cheats. Do anything they have to hide from work.
• Nocturnal animal= Most active at night. Some people will stay up all night watching TV and carousing around town and then the next morning you can’t get them out of bed. They are sometimes worthless at their job and in school. Often too tired to come to church.

Full of excuses

“The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” Proverbs 20:4 KJV

“The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.” Proverbs 26:13

“The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” Proverbs 13:4 KJV

“The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.” Proverbs 21:25-26 KJV

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty. Pro. 20:13 KJV

Apostle Paul shared that, “one that cannot provide for his own is worse than a infidel.” 2 Thes. 3:7-14

Genesis: Adam even tended the Garden

“God provides for the birds their daily bread but he doesn’t put it in their nest”

A Few things to learn from the Ant

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8

Missionary story of ants= India has out of the whole world the greatest population of ants.

They are in the Tupperware bowls, Ziploc bags, cabinets, constantly in your drinking glass. There seems to be nothing too great or too big for the ant.

#1 Determination

Whether it was a tightly sealed container or sack, or a cabinet high in the air or a drinking glass to an ant it might seem the size of Mt. Everest, but there is no obstacle too big for the ant. Sometimes, we as Christians know there is a blessing for us but because of a little obstacle we give up our families, church, jobs, relationships, etc.

#2 Dependability and Self-Motivation

V.7) The ant knows who he is and what he must do. Have you ever been on a picnic and all the sudden a bunch of ants come along and carry your food away? You can count on when you go on a picnic losing some food to the ants.

The devil ought to be able to count on when he is having a picnic in the world, in your family, in your job, in your church to see some Christians come along and carry away his dinner. Can God count on you to be a Christian ?????

#3 Preservation

V.8) Some live spiritually speaking. Paycheck to paycheck.

We should pray, fast, study the Word now for the battles ahead.

#4 All for one and one for all

They are never alone.

• Why? Their strength is in their unity!
• They eat together.
• They fight together. (Some do not need a church???)

An Ant has two stomachs. One for herself and one for her colony.

• Not just about you.
• Need a stomach for the church.

Matt. 12:16-20 ( Rich Man built bigger barns)

God did not intend for we as Christians to ever be idle!

Maybe he had plenty for himself, but what about those down the road starving and in need.

• Just because you are doing well doesn’t mean you can set back and take ease.
• If things are well in your life, take it upon you to create the same security for someone else.

“Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together even so much more as the day draweth near.”

Rom 12:11-13 Rom 13:11-12

The field is white unto Harvest but the Laborers are few!