“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” - Proverbs 6:6-8 (KJV)
How humbling it must have been for Solomon’s original readers to be directed to learn from an ant. Not the mighty lion, not the soaring eagle, not the wise owl… just the tiny little creature probably laying on the underside of their sandals! The most common, most neglected, most trodden upon of all creatures becomes the object lesson for the sluggard.
Why this seemingly insignificant insect? Because embedded in its tiny frame is a work ethic that puts human laziness to shame.
Watch an ant during the warm months of summer. While others rest in the shade, the ant toils and labours. While others enjoy the abundance of the present moment, the ant thinks ahead. She knows that winter is coming - that season when gathering will become impossible, when the ground will be hard, when food will be scarce. So she works now, while she can, storing up for the time when she cannot.
The ant “provideth her meat in the summer.” That word “provideth” carries the weight of foresight, preparation, and responsibility. The ant doesn’t wait for winter to begin thinking about winter. She doesn’t assume someone else will provide for her needs. Having no overseer to drive her, no ruler to command her, she drives herself with an internal discipline that anticipates tomorrow’s challenges.
How convicting this is for the sluggard—and if we’re honest, for all of us. We live in a culture that celebrates the immediate, the convenient, the effortless. We want our spiritual growth without discipline, our relationships without investment, our character without the slow work of formation. We sleep through our summers, then wonder why winter finds us unprepared.
The ant’s wisdom isn’t just about material provision — it’s about life preparation. Are we building spiritual reserves now for the trials that will inevitably come? Are we strengthening our faith during seasons of ease so it can sustain us in seasons of difficulty? Are we cultivating habits of prayer, study, and obedience when it’s convenient, knowing these disciplines will carry us when convenience is nowhere to be found?
The ant works without external motivation because she understands the consequences of delay. She knows that opportunity has seasons, that preparation cannot be postponed indefinitely, that the time for gathering is limited. She need no hard taskmaster to prompt her out, she knows through foresight what will happen if she does not work.
God calls us to consider this tiny creature because her example exposes our excuses. We who have minds to reason, consciences to guide us, and God’s Word to direct us - do we show less foresight than an insect? Do we live with less intentionality than a creature we barely notice beneath our feet?
The ant’s diligence isn’t driven by anxiety but by wisdom. She doesn’t hoard out of fear but prepares out of prudence. She understands that faithful work today is the foundation for security tomorrow.
Winter will come—spiritually, emotionally, physically. The question isn’t whether it will arrive, but whether we will be ready when it does.
Prayer: Lord, humble my pride that resists learning from Your smallest creatures. Give me the ant’s foresight to prepare today for tomorrow’s challenges. Help me to work diligently in my spiritual summers, building reserves of faith, character, and wisdom that will sustain me through every winter season. Make me faithful in small preparations that You might use for great purposes. Amen.
Reflection: What “winter seasons” might be ahead in your life? How can you begin preparing now — spiritually, relationally, financially or practically — for challenges that may come? What can you learn from the ant’s example about faithful preparation?