Scripture photo: The Ant

Now that we've had our Christmas break, whether it was long (like mine), or just a day or two, the holiday season for many people can be a time of rest, slowing down, and contemplation of the year ahead.

Whether your slowing down was long or short this holiday season, no doubt tomorrow the busyness of life will resume. I go back to school Monday, and the kids come back Tuesday. Busy doesn't even begin to cover it as we hit the ground running and won't stop for several months. The next semester is a very busy one and contains a lot of meetings, deepening of the academic curriculum, as we sprint toward the Statewide and national testing in the spring. Phew. I'm tired just thinking about it.

Yet the scriptures say that we should make the most of every moment. We store up treasures now, on this side of heaven. We must be about our Father's business. Is our busyness the right kind of busy, or the kind that distracts us from the Father's kingdom?

making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16)

EPrata photo

A lazy, irresponsible person is challenged to learn from the ant (also mentioned in 30:25) and be wise. Ants, known for being industrious, are commended here for their initiative. Apparently ants have no leader—no commander to direct them, no overseer to inspect their work, no ruler to prod them on. Yet they work better than many people under a leader! Ants also work in anticipation of future needs, storing and gathering while it is warm, before winter comes. The virtue of wisdom is not in being busy but in having a proper view of forthcoming needs that motivate one to action (cf. 10:5).

Buzzell, S. S. (1985). Proverbs. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

Man is taught more than the beasts of the earth, and made wiser that the fowls of heaven, and yet is so degenerated that he may learn wisdom from the meanest insects and be shamed by them. 

Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume




Comments

  1. Absolutely fantastic... I really like the picture. So nice...

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  2. A heads up, Elizabeth
    Wall Street Sounds an Alarm!
    BPEarthWatch at YT today
    January 5, 2015 is the mid-point between the four blood red moons. "What GAME is played today? The BULLS vs the ROCKETS. Watch the results. My prediction is that the Bulls lose to the Rockets = financial collapse. They always use these to send a message. What was the result of the 2014 World Series? The GIANTS beat the ROYALS. You will see the end of the UK, Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia. Arab troops for months have been pouring into Gaza. We will undoubtedly be attacked at the same time as Israel. We will be distracted by the economy (they made off with $100 billion of our money at the end of December), the earthquakes, the riots- and then the Rockets come. Eyes open.

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