Proverbs 6:6-11
“Lazy folks need to take a look at the ant...which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the winter, by gathering her food in the summer. How long will you sleep away your life...lazy one? If you do not wake up from your dreaming, your poverty will come upon you as one that is in travail…”
The writer encourages his son to take notice of the ant’s instinctive character. Great examples of character are to be taken notice of and imitated. Notice how he uses such a small insect, as the focus of his analogy. It is not the large and extremely noticeable things that give forth the greatest wisdom and accomplish the most profound achievements. It is usually the small things, and people of humble beginnings that achieve the greatest accomplishments. If we can learn to observe the small details of life, and take advantage of the small opportunities that come our way, we will have greater chances for ultimate success.
However, a lazy apathetical person is like a person who sleeps. The only place that he or she is accomplishing anything is in their dreams. They live in a world that is not a real one, because either they are afraid to face it, or too lazy to face it. Nonetheless eventually reality will collide with fantasy, and destruction will come upon them suddenly, just like birth pains come upon a woman in travail.
It is not necessarily a bad thing to have great hopes and dreams that seemingly go beyond present reality. However, it is a bad thing to not do the small things day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year that will ultimately contribute and culminate in their eventual fruition.
The a great man named Zechariah once said, “Who has despised the day of small things? For the whole earth will rejoice when they see the plume line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” This was written concerning the efforts of Israel to rebuild the temple through a grant that was given by King Cyrus of Persia around 536B.C. to do so. There evidently were those in Israel who doubted God’s ability to rebuild his house. He foretells that those who had believed that it would happen, even when the city still laid in rubble, will rejoice when they see the brick mason's plume line hanging in Zerubbabel’s hand. This event will be the evidence that a foundation has been laid and the walls are beginning to be built along side that very plume line. The fulfillment of this prophesy is recorded in the book of Ezra 3:11-13.
Therefore, let us consider the ant, who takes no care about tomorrow, but only the clod of dirt that he must carry today. One day at a time he builds a tower of strength for tomorrow. He works today in preparation for tomorrow. Success comes to those who prepare themselves for it. It is the things that we do day to day to guide our lives that enable us to guide others.
I remember one time I took some visitors from the U.S. up a small jungle mountain trail in Mexico to visit one of our mission churches with the Aztec Indians. When we arrived at the top, via this series of small foot trails, they marveled to see a large block church building. The visitors asked, “How did they get these heavy materials to the top of this mountain without a vehicle?”
My reply was, “One piece at a time...one day at a time...over a long period of time.” This is a great analogy of how we are to live our lives...and eventually through daily diligence accomplish all of our dreams.