Consider the Ant (Proverbs #21) - Bible Baptist Church

Text: Proverbs 6:6-11

Note the word sluggard. This is a sluggish person. Laziness leads to poverty.

Prepare for what is clearly coming (vss 6-8)

A lesson on six legs
Common sense is often spiritual sense. In fact, it’s no surprise people don’t understand spiritual things because they can’t see the simple principles in the dirt.
- Seed like the word of God. It grows well here, it doesn’t grow well there. That’s an agricultural principle and a spiritual principle.
- You reap what you sow. That’s an agricultural principle and a spiritual principle.
- You sow little and you reap little. That’s an agricultural principle and a spiritual principle.
Go… consider… be…
No matter what kind of ant, one thing you learn from all ants is that they know how to prepare.
They prepare their food so when it comes time to eat and they can’t gather food, they still have food.
Prepare for a test. If you didn’t study or you didn’t learn the material, when the test comes you’ll fail the test. But if you prepared, if you know the material, when you’re given the test, you can have confidence that you did well on the test.
Ants are master preppers. They know there is coming a time when they will not be able to gather food, they know there is a test coming, and so they gather food for that time.
Prepare to meet thy God

You say, Not now, then when? (vs 9)

How long…? When wilt…
When will you be motivated? You know this is coming, so why are you putting it off? What else can possibly be done to get you to move?
I notice the only thing this person does is what they do from their bed. Won’t get up to do anything. It’s all video games, TikTok, and movies, but nothing productive.
Proverbs 26:14 As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

Sin of laziness stole from you (vss 10-11)

Here is what’s going to happen. When it comes time to move out of the house, when it comes time to eat on your own and feed yourself, there will be no opportunity. You’ll find that your laziness has stolen that opportunity.
Laying around in bed all day is a thief.
Paul makes the application to a person’s spiritual life in Romans 13:11-14.
Biblically speaking this is redeem the time
Colossians 4:5 redeeming the time toward those that are without.
What happens when I need wisdom, but I haven’t cultivated any wisdom? What happens when I need joy, but I haven’t cultivated any joy? What happens when I need hope, but I haven’t cultivated any hope? What happens when I need to be kind, but I haven’t cultivated any kindness?
If you wait to pass out a tract for a time when you feel like it, it’ll never happen. If you wait for a feeling to serve God, you’ll never serve God.
Prepare to meet thy God