Lesson From The Ants
“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.”
~ Psalm 25:4 (NIV)
Daniel Detweiler told a story about his experience with ants. The story went something like this. As Detweiler walked from his house to the garden, he noticed a long string of ants coming uphill across his path. He stopped to watch, and then dropped to his knees to observe them more closely.
All of the ants were following the exact same path. The path was about the width of the ants themselves. Not one ant was standing still, slooping, or wandering off course. At times there was a little break in the procession; enough so that the following ant could not see the next ant ahead. He was not lost, and all he had to do was to keep moving ahead on the same path. They would all eventually meet at the same destination.
Detweiler carefully bent over and made a little path across the ant path with his finger, but left the rest of the ant path undisturbed. When the next ant in the line came up to his finger mark the ant stopped. Obviously confused, it wandered back and forth. The ant no longer knew where to go. The following ants did the same.
In a short while a whole group of ants did the same. They were bypassing each other and crisscrossing his finger path, and also the original ant path. They could not figure out their initial path, and their running around only brought more chaos.
An example of a person's path being blocked in the Bible was in 1 Thessalonians when Paul wrote a letter to the “brothers and sisters” in the church in Thessalonica. He wrote that he had been separated from them for a little while. Then went on to say: “(I) wanted very much to come, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented (me).” Paul's path to go to the church in Thessalonica had definitely been blocked. When this happened did Paul go running around in confusion and chaos like the ants did? No, Paul understood that God has a reason behind every disturbed path.
God's people as they travel their ordinary road of life, often have their perfectly planned out path abruptly blocked. Like the ants they often stumble, crisscross, and become confused because of it. Why not take the time to remember that your Rock is Christ, and if you trust Him, and steadfastly follow Him, He will give you, like Paul, the wisdom to know which way to walk around, or go over, the stumbling block, and that will be your right path to follow.
O GOD, who guides the meek in judgment and makes the light rise out of darkness for the godly; Grant me, in all my doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have me do, that the Spirit of Wisdom may save me from all false choices, and that in your light I may see light, and in your straight path may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny
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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Lord, we lift our eyes in prayer and wait upon Your direction.
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