Ants

Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise

Proverbs 6:6 (NKJV)

I have this childhood memory of waking up one morning to the sound of banging over my head. My bedroom was in the basement just under the kitchen. When I went up the stairs to investigate, I found my mom bending down in front of our refrigerator using a flip-flop to attack ants who had found the "mother lode," as my husband would say.

 

In more recent times, the ants have been invading our home, first the bathroom and then my daughter's room. The former only satisfied their thirst, but the latter gave them delightful discoveries, much to my daughter's dismay. A little cleaning was had, though, that soon brought that to an end.

 

Well, now they've found the kitchen. First, it was the counter by the sink. These ants are teeny-tiny, almost the size of "no-see-ums" or biting midges, but that could be because of my aging eyesight. My husband bought and strategically placed some deterrent, which worked well—for several days.

 

Then, just the other morning, they returned. And, this time, they found not the refrigerator but another "mother lode"—a not tightly closed dishwasher full of dirty dishes. My husband quickly counter attacked. Clean dishes soon filled the dishwasher.

As I reflected on our ant invasion, it made me admire these persistent little critters. If one way is unsuccessful, they try another. They just don't seem to give up. They know success doesn't come easy.

 

Jesus told a story found in Luke 11:5-8 to His disciples in response to their asking Him, "Lord, teach us to pray." My Bible titles it, "Parable of the Persistent Friend." (Thomas Nelson NKJ Study Bible) After telling the story, Jesus concludes that because of his persistence, the friend will end up receiving what is needed. To add emphasis, Luke 11:9-10 records Jesus' summary of His parable. I particularly like the Amplified Bible's version.

 

So I say to you, ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you;

seek and keep on seeking and you shall find;

knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.

For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives;

and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds;

and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

 

The translators note that "The idea of continuing or repeated action is often carried by the present imperative and present participles in Greek." You can see this in the Strong's definitions of the three words.

 

Ask: aiteō, meaning to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require.

Seek: zēteō, meaning to seek in order to find (strive after); to seek i.e. require, demand.

Knock: krouō, to knock as at the door. Gesenius' notes it is "to knock with a heavy blow…with the  knuckles" [a knock not easily ignored, I would think].

 

The key to opening the door is the continuing and repeated action in prayer. It is not giving up asking until you receive, not giving up seeking until you find, and not giving up knocking until the door is opened.

 

Because of the man's persistence, his friend rose from his bed and gave him as many loaves as he needed. (Luke 11:8)

 

Praying moms, how persistent are we to get what we need? To get what our children need?

 

May we be like the ants, persistent to the end.

 

PS In fact, these ants are so persistent they invaded my dreams. I dreamt they'd found the island on the other side of the kitchen which we sometimes use for baking. I was scooping up ants out of my flour!