From Connections: Fatherly advice: Go to the ant--or else!

By John Warren

There are some strange things in the Bible. I learned of one of these years ago during a family study directed by my father.

Sometime while in the deep, dark piney woods of central Maine, he came up with the idea to get each of us eight children to memorize a proverb. That was enough of a project for us without the extra burden of reciting that proverb to the rest of the family.

My mind is cloudy on the details of the study. That may have something to do with the beating it usually took to produce my full involvement.

Anyway, I have no idea what proverb I memorized and probably recited like a young Daniel Webster.

What I do remember is one of my sisters talking about ants.

After 30 years, I found in Proverbs where we are told to "go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise."

(I know people who have watched ants for hours. Just last week I saw a news story about a doctor of insect studies from Japan who has spent his life studying ants.)

Now back to verse 7. "... Which have no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest."

I thought all my parents wanted was for my sister to clean her own room without being told. But call her a sluggard?

No wonder she cried a lot at family Bible studies.

Years later one Saturday while watching the subliminal man on Saturday Night Live, it hit me. They weren't talking to my sister; they were using the cute, innocent little girl to preach to us six boys.

I guess there is something to be learned from those ants, so back to the front yard I go. I know there's a fire-ant mound out there somewhere.

Church Links  -  Addresses  -  Church Logos  -  Finances  -  Photos  -   Memorial

The Study Library  -  In Transition  -  Messages Online  -  Live Services

Back Issues  -  Subscribe  -  Email List  -  Ad Rates  -  Site Map

© The Journal: News of the Churches of God