I was fascinated when I noticed a bunch of ants consuming what appeared to be a grasshopper and took the attached video.
First and foremost, I am NOT an entomologist nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express recently. (Post a comment or DM me if you don't understand the Holiday Inn Express thing.) Based on Google Lens, I think the ants are Red Imported Fire Ants. Assuming that is true, Wikipedia has some fun facts about them:
1. They sting over 14 million people in the US each year and have caused more than 80 recorded deaths.
2. They are viewed as a notorious pest, causing billions of dollars in damages annually and impacting wildlife.
You might be thinking that you have some personal experience with them and you don't want a reminder. Someday, I might share my camping story involving fire ants. But today, I want to focus on something else.
Despite their nasty reputation, I learned something from the fire ants in the video. They were all working in unity as one for a common purpose; providing food for the colony.
Recently, Denise and I were discussing oneness in the bride of Christ with some friends. One of the questions we considered: what would it look like for the church to be one and to work together in unity?
I do my best to turn to the Bible for answers in every aspect of life. So ...
The Bible gives us some clues about what it looks like to "BE" the bride of Christ.
"A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” [John 13.34-35 (BSB)]
"I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." [John 17.20-21 (BSB)]
Near the end of the Bible, John wrote:
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. [Revelation 19.7 (BSB)]
What's it going to take for Jesus' bride to make herself ready?
Paul gave us a clue:
And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. [Ephesians 4.11-13 (BSB)]
Finally, Jesus gave us a rude awakening:
Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and mislead many. Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. [Matthew 24.9-13 (BSB)]
Are you ready for His return?
Do you need help getting ready?
Walking deets:
Continued north bound on US 281 to just south of Adamsville, TX
This walk: Dist: 13.11 km; Time: 2+54; Steps: 15,885
Total: Dist: 400.19 km; Time: 90+39; Steps: 483,043
Miles from home = 143Miles to Wichita Falls, TX = 201Miles to Texas / Oklahoma border = 217Miles to Canada = 1445
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