[Mystery of God's Creation] Lessons and Wisdom Found in the Instincts of Ants
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August 29, 2010 |
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Ants are such small and feeble insects. They die under the pressure of a man's touch. God the Creator gave these small ants wonderfully mysterious instincts by which they are able to survive. Now let's look into some of their instincts and feel God's delicate love and receive a precious lesson of life.
 Proverbs 6:6-8 reads, "Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest."
There is an Aesopian fable titled "The Ant and the Grasshopper."
The fable opens with the forest in summer abounding in food. The grasshopper played gaily enjoying abundant food, while the ant labored hard with sweat on her face.
The grasshopper asked the ant, "Hi! What are doing?" The ant answered, "I'm preparing food for winter." The grasshopper ridiculed the ant saying, "Nonsense! There's so much food!"
Meanwhile fall came and went, and cold winter arrived. There was no more food in the forest. The grasshopper was so hungry and felt so cold. He came to the ant and asked for food. The ant shared food with the grasshopper and spent that cold winter together with the grasshopper.
This fable teaches us a lesson in which we have to prepare for the future and always be diligent in our works. On the sixth day of His creation, God made the insects that move on the ground including ants. Today scientific researchers have announced interesting facts on the ecological adaptations of an ant.
Instinct 1 - The Amount of Food Gathered Differs by Season and Nutritional Needs.
Ants collect different amounts of food depending on seasons whether it is summer or winter. They collect different kinds of food depending on their nutritional requirements. For example, when there are many actively growing larvae, ants collect food which is full of the protein that is a necessary nutrient for larvae. However when there are many worker ants, they collect food which is full of carbohydrates that is the energy producer. It even appears as if ants hold meetings and have collected food according to the result of the meeting.
Instinct 2 - Instincts for Methods of Survival Differ by Ant
Ants unceasingly gather and store as much food as possible, and even prepare food by farming or raising livestock. Some ants raise fungus with the leaves they cut into pieces or with dung and some others bring aphids and other specific insects and are provided with sweet fluids that flow from the aphids.
The ant called the 'leafcutter ant' cuts leaves into pieces, brings them home, and piles them up. Then, fungus grows from the pile of leaf pieces, and these ants use the fungus as food.
Next is ection hamatum, an army ant which lives in the Amazon of Brazil. This army ant shows amazing methods of reconnaissance and demonstrates reactive problem solving ability. If enemies are low in density, they break through the enemy lines to split them into two, and then they attack them from the flanks. On the other hand, if enemies are high in density, they take a fan-shaped battle formation.
When the battle is matched in strength, Special Forces, which are held ready in the rear, are thrown into the battle. In addition, the prize from the battle is taken back to the rear by the reserved troops that wait in the back of the fan-shaped battle formation.
Instinct 3 - Order and Unity within the Group.
At first, a couple of ants tried to take the piece of candy. But when they found it was beyond the scope of their strength, they quickly called for other ants. Many ants came in a line following the way messengers went to call for other ants. Then, tens to hundreds of ants teamed up to take the food home.
Just for your information, even though there are some differences among ants, an average ant can carry 50 times its own body weight. Even though there is no one who gives orders, they move like one in one will. How well they work in good order! Though an ant is weak in individual strength, when they unite as one, they enjoy tremendous strength. Even a large beast cannot survive when it is attacked by a group of ants in Africa or the Amazon.
Instinct 4 - Small but Wise Beings They Prepare Food in Summer
Proverbs 30:24-25 reads, "Four things are small on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: The ants are not a strong people, but they prepare their food in the summer." The Bible tells us, lord of all creatures, to learn diligence through ants that diligently prepare food. We have to learn about their unity in society and diligence and hard-working attitude. God gave such feeble beings as ants amazing instincts for survival. Why then would God turn His eyes away from good children who rely on Him and walk uprightly?
If we believe and rely on God from the heart and act in everything with a good heart and in sincerity, there is no doubt that God will bless us. So, how wise it is that we don't seek worldly honor and riches and the recognition from people in this passing life on the earth, but diligently adorn ourselves as the brides of the Lord!
Therefore, those who have the hope for the kingdom of Heaven, who make themselves obedient to Christ, and who diligently serve God can be deemed as those who gained wisdom from ants that prepare food in summer.
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