Proverbs 30:25 - Bite-sized Strength

This summer we stopped to take a break while driving through New Mexico. Off to the side of the road, there was a large mound of dirt. It was about eight to twelve inches high, but about four feet in circumference. I suspected someone had been digging a hole, but since there was no hole I went to investigate. It was a huge ant hill. Countless ants were busily running in and out of several entrances to their domain.

Solomon had a whole kingdom to administer and rule. But he took time to observe he smallest creatures within his domain. He took note that ants could get a cooperative job done without the need of his kingly direction. (See October 3, 2021 - Buttered Cooperation)

He also observed:

"Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer."
(Proverbs 30:25, New Living Translation, 2015)

Have you ever watched an ant carry or drag an object that's at least its same weight? It could be a bread crumb, an ant egg, or even another ant that has died. Despite those feats for their relative size, they still are not strong compared to much larger animals.

Their size doesn't stop them. All that dirt in an ant hill? It represents an immense labyrinth of tunnels and caves underground--ant-size, of course. Each grain of dirt was carried to the surface by two tiny mandibles. Each morsel of food stored underground was carried below the same way, one at a time. Ants simply use every bit of strength that God gave them. If anything disturbs their nest, they start right away with rebuilding.

Creator God,
Sometimes the tasks in front of us are so huge as to be very daunting. Give us the determination of ants to take on the challenge, even if it seems to be only a tiny bit (or bite!) at a time. Amen.