Those pesky ants had bothered us for a long, long time. They lived in the ground under our driveway. They were just tiny, little brown ants, but they had found a way to get into our house. They seemed to always know when there were delicious treats in there for them to eat. We had tried many times and many ways to get rid of them, but still they came in, and their numbers grew.
We had a large, blue trash can in our backyard, and one morning I was surprised to see a brown stripe on the side of it. It looked as though someone had taken a can of brown paint and painted a line on it from the top to the bottom. I went over to investigate, wondering to myself, Who could have done such a thing? But when I got closer, I saw that the brown line wasn’t paint. It was ants - a whole army of them! They had found a nice, warm, comfortable spot inside that garbage can with lots of food for all of them. And they were moving in! They were following their leaders, about six abreast, forming a solid line from their former home under our driveway, across the grass, and up into the can. They were carefully carrying their eggs, and it looked as though the whole tribe was on the move.
“Let them be,” I told my wife who wanted to spray them with bug killer. “They think they’re going to an ant paradise. What they don’t know is that they’re marching to total destruction. The garbage man will destroy them all on Tuesday.”
Even though we were glad to be getting rid of the ants, in a way it was sad to see them working so tirelessly for such a sad end. It was hard work for them to carry all those eggs up the side of the can, but they were working and moving together to reach their goal. Their scout leaders had found a good place to relocate. All the other ants were following right behind them.
Who are you following? God tells us, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:2222For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22)). Every one of us has been born into Adam’s family. Adam, the first man, was a sinner, and each of us has inherited his sinful nature. If you haven’t been born into God’s family, you are still following what Adam did. He listened to Satan and did what Satan suggested. After he had eaten that fruit in the garden of Eden, he knew he had followed the wrong leader and sinned. But it was too late. Sin had entered the world. God says in Romans 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12), “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
The ants didn’t know they were following their leaders to destruction. Do you know that if you continue to follow Satan, you also are headed for destruction? Don’t let him deceive you! “Repent and turn to God” (Acts 26:2020But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. (Acts 26:20)). Let God give you eternal life and be your leader. He will lead you in righteous paths until you are with Himself in heaven.
“By one man’s [Adam’s] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [the Lord Jesus Christ] shall many be made righteous” (Romans 5:1919For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)). Be safe! Accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and follow Him.
ML-12/16/2001