A Lesson from the Ants

I could not get rid of the ants and they overtook my coffeepot
This morning I came into the Youth Center to have  a quiet time before anyone else came in and then I wanted to write today's post. I had a plan before I came so I thought that it would only take a short time to write but God spoke to me as I was making my coffee. I noticed there were lots of ant in the building and they were on the counter as well as on the floor where some food had not been swept up from the kids last night. As I swept up and I cleaned the counter and the drink jug, I noticed the ants. I would sweep or wipe and then, as soon as I stopped, they would start to scatter again. If I stopped before they were gone, they would be right back, all over everything again. I am not a fan of ants so I needed to get rid of them.

 I felt like God said that is exactly what He is doing in our lives. When everything is clean, ants are not a problem for us. They are looking for something to eat and as long as everything is cleaned, sealed and put away, they will not come in. As soon as we leave something out or we have scraps of food laying around or drop something and do not clean it up, the ants come. When they come, they will eat all of the bad or leftover stuff that is out but they will also look for any good food and attack it also. They do not settle for just a little bit but they want all that we have. We never intended to have ants but we were not diligent to clean up and remove any source of food for them.

 In our spiritual life, the same is true. Most of us do not start out to sabotage our lives. We allow an ant to come in and think nothing of it. We leave some food for it. Maybe we take a drink or a drag from someone's cigarette. It is not that these things are horrible sins but they violate our conscience and we go ahead. Nothing much really happens. Next we sneak a glance at that risqué magazine or website. Maybe we mistreat someone. We continue on. We are leaving more food for them to feast on and more ants come in. They still do not seem so bad but they are coming. In the same way, as we came taking small steps that violate our conscience, our colony grows. Soon everything that God has given us as our food, and provision is under attack and it becomes worthless to us because it is covered in ants. God wants to pour into us but He will not have His provision destroyed by ants.

 I felt Him say that He is in the process of removing the ants from our lives. He has so much that He wants to provide but He is going to clean the ants of our lives. He is going to continue cleaning and getting rid of all of the scraps that draw them and He is going to remove them. God is going to prepare us for all He wants to put in us so that it cannot be taken and corrupted by the ants.   

 I have seen many people sidetracked as God's kingdom seems to pass them by. They were moving at one time but they allowed an ant or two in and then a few more. Before they knew it, they were buried and all that they had was being devoured. They have found themselves far from God and they cannot free themselves because now they have been overrun. Jesus wants to clean the ants out of your lives. He wants to restore you. He knows that you did not intend to get where you are and that one or two missteps left you further away than yo ever thought that you could be. You cannot get rid of the ants now because there are too many but He wants to get rid of them for you. You only have to tell Him that you need the help and then obey as He gives you a step to take. He is calling you. He is offering to help you get rid of the ants and have your provision restored.

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