Hello Everyone,
Solomon wrote that wisdom calls aloud outside. And there are, in fact, lots of valuable things that we can learn from nature if we’re observant and willing.
An example of what he was talking about is given regarding the ant. “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest.” (Prov. 6:6-8) Ants don’t go hungry because they are relentless workers in the seasons their food is gatherable. Additionally, they don’t have to be driven or forced. Each ant provides everything it possibly can for the collective good of the colony. And they therefore thrive. An observant person, after studying them, can see that drive, willing work and cooperation produces exponential success for the whole group. How wise! It’s a dynamic example for those who comprise the body of Christ.
But now let’s go back to nature as Solomon suggested and consider the ways of yet another bug, the processionary pine caterpillar. This unique caterpillar feeds on pine needles. But the manner in which it goes in search of its food is its most fascinating characteristic. They move through the forest in a long procession, one leading and the others following. Each succeeding caterpillar has its head snuggly fit up against the rear extremity of its predecessor, making it look as if they’re playing follow the leader with their heads down. A French naturalist by the name of Jean-Henri Fabre did an interesting experiment with them. He succeeded in getting a procession of them together on the rim of a large flower pot so that there was no beginning and no end. The caterpillars then, began moving in a circle around the pot. Fabre expected that they would soon tire of going in circles and break off in some new direction since he had placed their food source just inches away. Wrong. They maintained their steady pace for 7 days and nights until exhaustion and or starvation overtook them. An observant person would see clearly that these processionary caterpillars lacked nothing in terms of drive and willingness to work. They put their heads down and pushed. But they followed blindly and were certainly not successful. This too, in a different way, can serve as a dynamic example for those who comprise the body of Christ.
Now, let’s say by analogy that the ants and caterpillars (as they performed in Fabre’s experiment) are God’s people. What made the ant people so successful? There was no visible overseer. But God’s begotten ones do have an unseen one – Jesus Christ. And they do have the unseen Holy Spirit which gives them the power to work together and cooperate, all with their heads up and their eyes wide open. “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head –Christ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph. 4:15-16)
So what about the caterpillar people, what held them back? Their willingness to work was unquestionable. But they worked with their heads down, unaware of their food source going untouched beside them. Christ spoke of those in this condition, “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” (Rev. 2:2-4). These were blindly working with their heads down. They weren’t spiritually discerning enough to know that they had quit working on what they had at first. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. “(Rev. 2:5). The first works were those that produced love – overcoming. They weren’t overcoming in their personal lives as they had before, all the while blindly pushing themselves in circles. And all this with the Holy Spirit just inches away.
The moral of the story is to take a hard look at the ant with our heads up and our eyes wide open.
Have a profitable Sabbath.
Feast of Tabernacles
We have discovered some problems with registration for activities. Some believe they are signed up for activities when actually they are not. The way to check on this is whether you received an email confirmation of your bookings. As the online instructions state, “Once you have made your bookings, you will receive conformation by email. Please print this confirmation and bring it with you to the information desk as it will help expedite payment.” If all the sign up procedures were not completed it is likely that a receipt was not generated.
If you need any help with this please feel free to contact Rita Sampson at rsampson@surfree.com
Marshall Stiver
