Go to the Ant!

I woke up this morning and went downstairs to find hundreds of ants in the kitchen. I was immediately annoyed and overwhelmed with what to do with them. Thankfully, my husband had already sprinkled more food grade Diatomaceous Earth everywhere before he left for work.

As I'm posting my aggravation on Facebook and reading my friend's comments on what to do to get rid of them, I walk back in and find a whole new trail of MORE ants on the floor. These guys were really freaking me out because they were just coming out of nowhere!

 

I spent some time sucking the ants and Diatomaceous Earth up with the Shop Vac to just try to get them under control and out of my sight...for the most part anyways! Amazing how strong these tiny little guys are because they sure fought hard to not get sucked up!

 

Being a Principle Approach® Mom, it occurred to me that I should do a word study on "Ant". I brought it up with my mentoring Mom, Gina Glenn with A Cherished Keeper and she encouraged me with the Bible Verse from Proverbs 6:6...

 

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

 

In the 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary, the word "Ant" is defined as:

ANT, n. [Sax. œmet, emmet, contracted into ant; Germ. ameise.]

An emmet; a pismire. Ants constitute a genus of insects of the hymenopteral order, of which the characteristics are; a small scale between the breast and belly, with a joint so deep that the animal appears as if almost cut in two. The females, and the neuter or working ants, which have no sexual characteristics, are furnished with a hidden sting; and both males and females have wings, but the neuters have none. These insects meet together in companies, and maintain a sort of republic. They raise hillocks of earth, in which they live. In these there are paths, leading to the repositories of their provisions. The large black ants, in the warm climates of America, to avoid the effects of great rains, build large nests on trees, of light earth, roundish and plastered smooth.

The first few meanings of "Work" are:

1. In a general sense, to move, or to move one way and the other; to perform; as in popular language it is said, a mill or machine works well.

2. To labor; to be occupied in performing manual labor, whether severe or moderate. One man works better than another; one man works hard; another works lazily.

3. To be in action or motion; as the working of the heart.

Searching for the words ant and wise in my Logos software, the Scripture my friend shared came up along with Proverbs 30:24-25:
 

"There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer"

 

 

What a perfect picture of God's Principle of Individuality and Self-Government being portrayed even in the smallest of His creatures! We can look at them to just be aggravating and purely just an annoyance but that just takes away from God's splendor. His nature is revealed in ALL things and we can allow even the littlest creature to teach us something big. God has a plan and a purpose for all things. I never thought that God can use even a tiny little ant to convict me!

 

Ants are organized, they are wise and they are cooperative. Ants are also hard-workers, preparers and leaders.  When I compare myself to an ant, it shows me what I am lacking in my character and that I need to depend on God more in becoming the wise woman that He intends me to be. Also shows me what I need to be instilling in my children as I want them to grow up to be self-governed in all that they do. To do all things without complaining and with a heart to glorify Him!

My dear friend Gina also shared this lovely song with me from Judy Rogers Music to play for my girls. I am blessed with these words in this song:

 (Fast-forward to #1 for the song "Go To The Ant")

So, to sum all this up, God turned a nuisance into a lesson in self-government for me today!

"Go to the Ant! Observe her - see how she works all day

And she doesn't even have a captain to tell her what to do, but she works hard anyway"

 

Don't take irritating situations for granted because God can use them for good to teach you and draw you and your children closer to Him. Turn your eyes to Him and ask the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you in all things...even if it's just pesky little ants causing you more work and grievance than you desire. 

 

I praise you Lord for these annoying little ants today...Now I pray that they will stay away!