The spiritual qualities which are described in the ant can be attained by the person who will put forth the effort to understand God’s Word. The Bible says, “…Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8 NKJV).
The Lord will empower us to become the diligent person we want to be—the person who receives rewards because he is committed to the Word of God and seeks to know Him and His ways.
God is reaching out to lift us into a position of deep, consistent communion with Him. It is when we reach this stage of spiritual development that we begin to comprehend the wisdom of God in an ever-increasing depth.
The slothful person never progresses very far. He is a spiritual sluggard. He may want the right things, but he will not put forth the effort necessary to meditate in the Word to find the secrets of receiving those things. He does not understand that there are spiritual principles that must be followed in order to receive from God. He must meditate and seek God’s wisdom, and then he will discover how to make successful decisions.
The first step to change is desire. Proverbs 13:4 says, “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (NKJV). Desire is an important first step to receiving anything from God. However, it requires diligence in applying God’s Word that will release His creative power from our spirits. That’s when our God-given desires will become a reality.
One afternoon Dennis received a call from a man who was in desperate need of a job. He asked Dennis for guidance to know whether he should remain where he was living at that time or move to another city to seek employment. He had to decide within two weeks.
After discussing the matter with him, Dennis asked the man to set aside time each day to seek God in prayer and in the Word. He needed to have peace within himself that his steps were being ordered of the Lord.
About ten days later, Dennis received another call from this man. He sounded more desperate than ever. He did not know what to do, and there were only four days left in which to make the decision. When Dennis asked what direction he had received from God, his answer was surprising—and yet so typical. He said, “Well, I have not been able to set aside time for prayer.”
No wonder he didn’t know what to do. He had made no effort to find the answer for himself. He wanted someone else to hear from God for him. He had not made God his source of wisdom. It is no wonder that some people never rise above their problems. They will not wholeheartedly follow God’s plan for success. They will not even take the time to learn how to make the first step.
It’s important that we set time aside each day to meditate on God’s Word. Proverbs 4:5 tells us to, “Get wisdom!” (NKJV). He is the source of our wisdom.
