Four Small Things III

Hello and a good day to you all! We are continuing on finding wisdom from unconventional places hence our series, four small things.

The text we are using in Proverbs instructs us to go beyond the face value of an ant, a hyrax and learn from them. So far, we have seen the ant as a symbol of industry. And then, the hyrax, that of borrowed strength.

Before we focus on the third, let us look at our foundational text.

“The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks;” Proverbs‬ ‭30:27‬ ‭

The third small thing today is the locust. Known to be very destructive in nature. The mention of the name locust in the Bible evokes terror. This is the first time something praiseworthy has been noted.

They don’t have a king meaning, they have no kind of appointed leadership or structure, yet advance in ranks.

The lesson gleaned is teamwork. But before that, I also observed other things.

1. The ability to work unsupervised– they have no leader, but stuff gets done. In this world where there is a leadership void, chaos is present. The locust rewrites that story that “I may be in a disadvantage, but I advance…” We should all come to that sense of self governance. The locust teaches us that inspiration can also be inward as outer. As you start this work week, be determined to finish your break on time without your supervisor coming to tell you- that is the wisdom of a locust.

2. They embrace the odds, yet advance– they don’t run from the challenge that they have no king or system of governance. They advance irrespective of that. Who learns from a locust? Their destructive reputation precedes them, yet they advance. The locust rewrites their story despite these odds. I pray you are encouraged to fight any odds this week to rewrite your story.

3. They believe in collaboration– that is the main takeaway. They believe in teamwork. “Teamwork makes the dream work” is their mantra. Bruce Waltke, a professor wrote this on the teamwork of locusts, “They are well known for their amazing ability to form gigantic swarms that can wreak devastation of a scale almost beyond imagination. Highly reliable eyewitness accounts of modern locust plagues border on the incredible.” No matter how gifted you are, believing in the essence of a team will not dim your light, but brighten it.

I am shocked to know there is a wealth of wisdom in a pest like a locust. We will not just learn, but apply them.

God bless our week and may we be fruitful.

Thanks for reading.

Till, I come your way again…

Peace & Love