Summer Part 4

July 31, 2019 by Cee Maria in Word for Wednesday

Proverbs 30:24-25 NLT

There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:

Ants—they aren't strong,

but they store up food all summer.

What do we know about ants?

Did you know that ants are found on every continent except for the Antarctic (1)? In fact, ants can be found in the tiniest cracks of a sidewalk, at the sub-floor of a forest, or on the top of a building. They will travel to where they find food and will eat all sorts of stuff including wood, glue, carcasses, plants, seeds, or even grease. An ant can lift twenty times its body weight. (2) They leave a pheromone trail when they forage which helps them track their territory so they won’t repeat their steps. (2)

The function of a worker ant
Ants live in colonies and work within a caste system. There are several classes of ants, but the worker ant forages and stores food. The entire colony depends on the worker ants to keep them fed. The majority of their foraging happens in the summer months when produce is available. The word summer here actually means ‘summer fruit’ (3)

Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics of the ant:

Ants are diligent

They work together as a group

They are efficient

They will not stop their assignment until every scrap of food is gone

They will travel as far as they must to get food

The other classes of ants can depend on the worker ants to sustain them

All summer long, the ant works nonstop to store food for the entire year.

Proverbs 30:24-28 paraphrased:

Listed are four of God’s creatures that are miniature but considered exceptionally prudent. The ant is at the top of the list. They are not considered strong because they are not able to overpower anything or anyone. However, they are considered wise because they work to forage and store food in the summer when there is plenty available. Their colony never has to worry about having enough to eat during the seasons when food is scarce or nonexistent.

That’s what summer means in this verse

References:

Summer Part 3

July 24, 2019 by Cee Maria in Word for Wednesday

Proverbs 26:1 NLT

Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest.

King Solomon, who was world renowned for his wisdom, wrote this proverb. He was observing the character traits of a fool.

Honor

The first word of this proverb is honor which means abundance, riches, reputation, dignity and reverence (1).

Fool

The word for fool in the Hebrew means someone who is stupid, dull, and one who is arrogant (2).

What is Solomon saying?

Solomon is identifying a foolish person by addressing the traits not found in their life. For instance, abundance and riches are associated with those who are diligent workers, know how to save for a rainy day, and become a benefactor to others. People of good reputation are honest and treat others with kindness. Dignity is seen when someone acts appropriately and classy especially in trying circumstances. Reverent people respect authority and treat everyone as valuable.

Fools are dull in character and you won’t find any of these traits evident in their life. They are not hardworking. They don’t save their money or help others out financially. They are dishonest and treat others badly. They respond to circumstances in the most inappropriate manner and they have absolutely no regard for authority.

Where does the arrogance come in?

And here is the clincher. A fool will always consider themselves better than everyone else. They do not consider anyone as valuable. People are only a tool to be used for their own selfish purposes.

What can we learn from this proverb?

When we consider someone to befriend, or a business partner, a spouse, a mentor, etc… be discerning of the people you connect with in life. Ask God to direct you to people who are godly, diligent in work ethic, handle their finances well, of good reputation, honest, kind, conduct themselves with class and dignity, and respect authority.

In the Middle East, it will never snow in the summer or rain at harvest time. So these character traits of honor will never be found in the life of a fool.

References:

1) https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3519&t=KJV

2) https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3684&t=KJV

Summer Part 2

July 18, 2019 by Cee Maria in Word for Wednesday

Psalm 32:4 NLT

Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

David is the author of this psalm. We are not sure of the circumstances that he caused him to write this piece. The psalm begins with thankfulness and praise to God who miraculously delivered David from his dilemma and forgave him of all his sins.

Verses 3 and 4 gives a synopsis of his mental and emotional breakdown while David was hiding his sins from God. During this phase, he lived in utter misery and could not find consolation. He described his agony as ‘God’s heavy hand of discipline’.

David’s ‘strength’ refers to his vitality that came from communing with God. All of David’s passion and exuberance for living evaporated like water droplets in the blazing summer heat. He is actually speaking of Middle Eastern summer droughts. Without rain the ground becomes parched and cracked. All of the vegetation becomes scorched and the dry soil blows away like dust in the wind.

David felt his life energy being drained from his soul because of the rift in his relationship with God. When he confessed his sin and accepted God’s forgiveness, his heart was full once more. David acknowledged that God wanted him victorious in every situation. He accepted God’s love, comfort, and instructions. Again, his heart is full of joy and his love of life returned.

That’s what summer means in this verse.

Summer Part 1

July 11, 2019 by Cee Maria in Word for Wednesday

Genesis 8:22 NLT

“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.”

Let’s put this verse in context. Noah and his family survived the worldwide flood and the ground was dry enough to exit the ark. Spanning the terrain, it struck Noah and his family that they were the only people left on this entire earth. They must have been terrified! Miles and miles of silt, sewage, rotting vegetation and flesh covered the landscape. Can you imagine what Noah was thinking and feeling after such a traumatic event?

“Is this going to happen again?”

“If it does, will we survive the next round?”

“I don’t know if I can do this again!”

As soon as everyone emptied out of the ark, Noah built an altar and offered sacrifices. The sweet aroma reached God’s nostrils and He made a promise to Himself and to Noah. Never again will there be a worldwide flood. Never again will this sphere be flushed out and purged. From that day until the end of time, this planet will remain populated with vegetation, animals, and people. Earth will continually rotate on its axis and orbit the sun. It’s inhabitants will experience the cycle of a 24 hour day, the transition of seasons, and the global wind patterns that determine hot and cold climates. Everyone and everything will enjoy the benefits of the earth and its bounty.

Summer here refers to the season of summer. We can plan, participate, and enjoy summer activities because God has promised summer will always come until the end of time.

That’s what summer means in this verse.