Illustrations are excellent teaching tools to aid our understanding. They paint vivid pictures that give us a clear and better understanding of what is being said or taught. An idea can be vague but when captured in a pictorial illustration, it quickly registers.
King Solomon wants to teach on laziness and he uses the life of an ant to make his point.
"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer, no ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest." (Prov. 6: 6-8)
This proverb condemns laziness and promotes hardwork. An ant is smart enough to make out the seasons and to make adequate preparations for it by storing food at the appropriate time.
No one tells it what to do. It thinks of its survival and does something about it. An ant understands times and seasons why not 'men' who are supposedly more intelligent?
Thinking something through, planning, preparing and putting it into action are methods that make for success.
When the leaves of a baobab tree begin to sprout, know that the rainy season is fast approaching. Start preparing your fields for sowing.
Life teaches us numerous lessons if only we pay attention. A bird wakes up to catch worms early in the morning before sunlight when the worms will take cover.
Laziness cannot be a lifestyle: it will leave you hungry, worthless and always begging for bread; "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food". (Gen 3:19)
