Proverbs Thought of the Day

"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

Ever watch ants at work? They're relentless! I don't ever recall seeing ants just hanging out, sitting around, resting. They are constantly working. They don't need anyone to tell them that they need to work; they understand that winter is coming and they need to store food NOW. So they go for it, working together as a team, all of them hard at work. No slackers, no complainers because ant #1 picked up a smaller morsel of food than ant #2. Notice that verse 6 calls them "wise." Why? Because they know if they don't harvest food they will starve, so they act upon this knowledge. That's the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowing that winter is coming isn't enough. To be wise, the ant must act upon this knowledge. Do we prepare for the future like the ant does, or do we sit around knowing we need to save but spending more than we earn? Proverbs 6:9-11 continues:

"How long will you lie there, you sluggard?

When will you get up from your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest -

and poverty will come on you like a bandit

and scarcity like an armed man."