Have you ever seen an obese ant? Nor have I. But why not? Attracted as they are to every sugary spill in my kitchen and impossible to deter with every lotion, potion and spray on the market. Where’s the justice in that, God?
My blood level sores at the very mention of cake. My waist expands at the faintest smell of chips. Yet a persistent teeny insect that must eat twice its body weight in sugar (from my kitchen) every couple of days appears to suffer no ill effect. If ants suffer from diabetes surely they would be extinct by now.
Here I am ranting about the unfairness of life and the apparent lack of interest from God, reminding me of the Old Testament prophet Habukkuk over 2600 years ago. He asked God straight out “Why do the wicked seem to win?” God listens and answers. No question is too trivial or too vast for God. God was and is approachable. He explains that Habukkuk needs to trust and be patient. God will work out His plans all in good time.
Back to the ant invasion. As if to add insult to injury, when I looked in the Bible for any advice about ants, I found ants commented for their wisdom and industry (Proverbs 6:6, 30:25) storing up food for the future (yes, mostly from my kitchen!).
So, I reluctantly went to the internet to research ants feeling that I must be missing something here. After all, how important can an ant be? Very, as it turns out. Apparently they turn and aerate the soil, allowing water and oxygen to reach plant roots. By collecting seeds as food and taking them in their tunnels to store them, these sprout and grow protected from scavenger birds or harsh weather conditions. They aid speedy decomposition of organic material and help with pollination. Ants eat the larvae of many garden pests.
Basically we really do need ants! Vast amounts of sugar free humble pie being consumed here now. Whoops! Just as well they’re not extinct. I hadn’t realised that because I can’t see the big picture and don’t have all the information at my fingertips, my judgements are often rash and ignorant.
Being human, we can’t see how things will work out in the long run. God does. To trust God fully means to trust Him even when we don’t understand why things happen as they do.
Help me Lord, to bring my concerns straight to You – however big or small. Make me open to see things from Your perspective rather than my blinkered obstructed viewpoint. Forgive me for my quick rash judgements, Amen