“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” Prov. 6:6-86Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. (Proverbs 6:6‑8).
The ant is “exceeding wise” in attending to things at THE RIGHT TIME. An unerring instinct warns her that winter is coming — the time of frosts and storms; she knows that it will be useless then to attempt to provide for herself, and she shows her wisdom by laying in a supply for all her wants during the time of abundance. When the sun shines, and the days are long and bright, you don’t find her idling an hour away. She takes advaage of her opportunity, and labors to improve each shining hour of the glorus summer time. She teaches a fine lesson — GOD says she is “exceeding wise” — listen to her! She says, “Attend to things at THE RIGHT TIME.”
These scriptures bring before us very definitely the time of salvation. It is NOW that God commands men to repent. It is TODAY that the Lord will show you His salvation. While it is called TODAY He beseeches you not to harden your heart against the entrance of His life-giving word; and the last passage declares with unmistakable simplicity that NOW is the accepted time, and TODAY the day of salvation.
If this question has never been raised and settled between your soul and God, NOW is the time. The ant is “exceeding wise,” because she attends to things at the right time. Imitate her wisdom. You need not close your eyes in sleep tonight without knowing that your sins are forgiven and your soul is saved. Do you know yourself to be “guilty before God?” Have you felt something of the hatefulness of your sins? God says, “Come NOW, and let us reason together,... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crion, they shall be as wool.” Isa. 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18).
God is ready to save you. He says, “Come, for all things are NOW ready.” Come just as you are by faith to Christ; believe on Him and thou shalt be saved. Blessed be God, it is still the summertime of grace; the sun of His mercy and love still shines upon a guilty world. This moment I can assure you, on the testimony of the Word of God, that there is salvation for you in Christ if you will accept Him. His precious blood will cleanse you from all sin.
God says, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Tomorrow may be forever too late. Today is the day of grace, the time of salvation and blessing.
Remember! the winter is coming, the stormy winter of God’s wrath. The summer of His grace will soon be past.
How sad if you trifle with the grace of God until it is too late, and you have to cry in bitterness of soul, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jer. 8:2020The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. (Jeremiah 8:20).
ML 09/13/1959