Turning Challenges into Triumphs
Lessons from the Ant on preparation and provision
“The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer” Proverbs 30:25
We’re often told to level up. We are told to look up, and emulate those greater than us. We are encouraged to seek inspiration from those better than ourselves. But in the text heading this article, we are told to do the opposite, to level down and learn from the ant. In other words, find the feet of ant and sit there, and gain some wisdom.
Ants, despite their seeming lack of strength, possess valuable insights worth emulating. Unlike a lion which is strong but can sometimes lack prey (Psalm 34:10), ants seem to consistently thrive in the art of provision. If humans had some “the brains of an ant,” as Matthew Henry suggests in his commentary on this verse, perhaps none would lack food, clothing, or even shelter. The ant stands as a powerful example of how we too can look out for our own needs and prepare for life’s “winters.”
The battle for winter is won in summer. “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame” (Proverbs 10:5). It’s during the sunny season, with fertile fields and ample opportunity, that provision is made.
In essence, the wisdom of the ant lies in its foresight and diligent. It gathers food during the summer to prepare for winter. They plan and prepare for the worst, using their knowledge of past and present to navigate the future. They seize the opportunities each season offers, not fighting it, but making the most of it. They’re the epitome of making hay while the sun shines, literally “providing their food in the summer.”
If you’ve observed, you’ve seen ants meticulously gathering food in your kitchen during this season. They do so with unwavering focus, continuing until winter arrives. Winter renders further gathering of food impossible. Ants are not strong, they die of the cold.
Notably, they also work really hard. They carry burdens many times larger than their sizes. But ultimately, it’s their proactive planning that sets them apart.
The takeaway lesson is clear: hard work, planning, and preparation are hallmarks of skillful living. The biblical story of Joseph in Genesis perfectly illustrates this point. With divine guidance, Joseph, a wise man, advised Pharaoh to save 20% of harvests during seven abundant years. This provided ample provision for the seven lean years to come. The drought was severe in Egypt, but they made it through because a wiseman had foresight and made preparation.
How about you, are you planning and preparing for next year, next phase of life, next challenge you may face? During summer’s abundance, you prepare for winter’s scarcity. Isn’t it cheaper to buy summer clothes in winter and winter clothes in summer? What about having three to six months of living expenses saved for job loss or unexpected emergencies?
How about acquiring assets when they are cheap during hard economic times — when everyone wants to sell but you have saved cash to invest? How about acuiring assets when young that provide income later in life when you can’t work? How about taking a risk, starting a side hustle and under-consume, saving the excess money you earn? Life rewards those who have foresight and prepare ahead, those who anticipate change and take steps to protect themselves from its downsides.
Summer and winter always exchange. We must therefore use the good times to prepare for the challenges ahead.
Finally, we must all prepare for eternity. Hell, often depicted as burning with fire, might figuratively be the greatest winter anyone can face.
The only way to prepare for eternity is to heed the Bible’s warnings and promises about life and death. This entails believing in passages like “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” “… the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” and “… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” The Bible assures us, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”[1]
If you possess the wisdom of the ant, you will prepare for eternity by acknowledging your sin before the Lord and confessing it. You will then place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died “the just for the unjust that he may bring us to God”.
Remember the main lesson; hard work, planning, and preparation will ensure that you provide for yourself and those you love both in summer and winter times. May God grant you the wisdom of the ant.