The large, fierce army ants live in the tropical countries of the world. They have no permanent home and are always on the move, except when they stop to raise their young. As they travel worker ants lead the way with larger soldiers at the sides. The main colony follows, carrying larvae in their mouths. Finally, the queen comes surrounded by large numbers of workers. There may be several million ants in such a procession. As this colony moves, it covers an area fifty or sixty feet wide and a quarter of a mile long.
Every small living thing that they come across is attacked and killed. They either eat what they kill or break it into small pieces and take it back for the queen and her workers.
Strangely, these ants are blind and are guided only by feelers and a sense of smell. As they move they leave an identifying scent. The messengers and scouts follow this scent back to the main group when they have found food. Large numbers then return with the scouts to where the food was found. Once in awhile captive ants are made slaves in the colony.
Usually the only time the colony stops is to let the queer lay more eggs. Rather than build a nest, they find a cave or overhanging cliff. A number of workers and soldiers climb to the ceiling where they attach themselves firmly. Others crawl over them, hanging one to the other until reaching the ground. These strings of ants are close together and almost form a wall. Passageways are left open so the queen can go to the center and be safe from intruders. This way the queen is guarded while she lays thousands of eggs. Then the colony is soon on the march again, taking the eggs with them.
When the colony makes an overnight rest stop, the columns break up and they all climb up bushes and vines to form living balls. They stay there until daylight, when they come back down and continue their move.
The ways of these vicious ants seem cruel and harsh. And yet they serve a purpose by holding in check many creatures that would otherwise overrun the jungle. They are part of God's overall plan to keep nature in balance.
In observing the army ants we can see that their survival over the centuries has been the result of complete obedience to the ways of God in His creation. To His people of old, the promise was given: "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you." But, sad to say, "They hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward." Jer. 7:23,2423But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. (Jeremiah 7:23‑24).
How happy it would be if every boy and girl had a desire to please the Lord and obey God's Word. But we cannot be obedient and happy unless we have a new life-a new nature-given to everyone who accepts the Lord as their Savior. Do you have this new life, and are you obeying Him?