Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / January 21 - Wake Up, Ants Are Winning

Transcript

January 21 - Wake Up, Ants Are Winning · Bible Chat Devotional

• 0:02
  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
• 0:06
  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, January 21st.
• 0:11
  Wake up, ants are winning. It's way too easy to hit snooze
• 0:15
  on your alarm, on your responsibilities, and sometimes
• 0:18
  even on your purpose. You tell yourself you'll get
• 0:21
  serious tomorrow, start that assignment later, pray more next
• 0:24
  week, or take life seriously when things calm down.
• 0:28
  But later has a habit of slipping away.
• 0:30
  Before you know it, days pass, opportunities shrink, and
• 0:33
  motivation feels harder to find. That's why Proverbs chapter 6
• 0:38
  feels almost funny and painfully honest.
• 0:40
  God says go to the Ant. Oh sluggard, consider her ways
• 0:44
  and be wise. Of all the creatures God could
• 0:46
  use as an example, he chooses ants.
• 0:49
  Ants don't wait for motivation. They don't need supervision.
• 0:52
  No one has to remind them what to do.
• 0:55
  They work while they can. They prepare ahead of time.
• 0:57
  They move with purpose, even though they're small.
• 1:00
  And God says that's wisdom. Laziness isn't always about
• 1:04
  doing nothing. Sometimes it's about delaying
• 1:06
  what matters. It's putting off growth,
• 1:09
  discipline, and obedience until it feels urgent or comfortable.
• 1:13
  Proverbs warns that when we live that way, LAX sneaks up on us
• 1:16
  quietly. Not always just financially, but
• 1:19
  spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.
• 1:22
  We wake up one day realizing we've fallen behind in places
• 1:25
  that really matter. But here's the grace filled side
• 1:28
  of today's message. Matthew chapter 18 shows us
• 1:31
  God's heart toward people who drift.
• 1:34
  Jesus says it's not the will of the Father that even 1 little
• 1:37
  one should perish. He tells the story of a shepherd
• 1:40
  who leaves 99 sheep just to go after one that wandered off.
• 1:44
  That means God doesn't give up on you when you're unmotivated,
• 1:47
  distracted, or falling behind. He doesn't label you as a lost
• 1:51
  'cause He comes looking for you. Put those two truths together
• 1:55
  and something powerful emerges. God values you deeply, and
• 1:58
  because you matter, how you live matters.
• 2:01
  You're not called to drift through life waiting to be
• 2:03
  pushed. You're called to rise up, take
• 2:05
  responsibility, and live with intention.
• 2:08
  Like the Ant, you can choose to prepare instead of
• 2:10
  procrastinate, to act instead of delay, and to grow even when no
• 2:14
  one is watching. You don't work hard to earn
• 2:17
  God's love. You work hard because you
• 2:19
  already have it. And when you understand how much
• 2:22
  you matter to Him, you stop wasting time and start living on
• 2:25
  purpose. Today isn't about shame.
• 2:28
  It's about waking up to who you are and what you're capable of.
• 2:30
  With God's help, let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for
• 2:34
  loving me even when I've been distracted, unmotivated, or slow
• 2:38
  to act. Help me learn from the Ant and
• 2:40
  grow into someone who lives with discipline, purpose, and wisdom.
• 2:44
  Remind me that my life matters to You and that You've given me
• 2:47
  today for a reason. Give me the strength to rise up,
• 2:50
  take responsibility and honor you and how I live each day in
• 2:54
  Jesus name, Amen. What if the ache you feel for
• 2:58
  more is actually God calling you deeper?
• 3:01
  Thirst for God is a powerful Seven book prayer scripts series
• 3:04
  inspired by Psalm 63, created for believers who refuse to live
• 3:08
  on spiritual leftovers. This is a journey from longing
• 3:12
  to encounter, from dryness to delight.
• 3:14
  Seek teaches you how to pursue God with passion and
• 3:17
  intentionality. Savor trains your heart to
• 3:21
  recognize and enjoy His presence in every season.
• 3:23
  See opens your spiritual eyes to God's power, glory and beauty at
• 3:28
  work in your life. Satisfy leads your soul into
• 3:31
  fullness, strength and deep contentment in Him alone.
• 3:34
  Sing ignites joy, gratitude, and worship that rises naturally
• 3:39
  from intimacy with God. Stay anchors your heart in
• 3:42
  steadfast devotion when distractions try to pull you
• 3:45
  away, and Stand equips you to remain firm in God's justice,
• 3:49
  protection, and victory. With over 210 prophetic
• 3:52
  Scripture anchored prayers, this series helps you cultivate daily
• 3:55
  communion, personal revival, and a lifestyle of holy pursuit.
• 3:58
  If you're spiritually hungry, weary, or simply longing for
• 4:01
  more of God, this is your invitation to drink deeply.
• 4:05
  Order Thirst for God on Amazon today or visit prayerscripts.org
• 4:08
  and begin your journey into deeper intimacy with the God who
• 4:10
  satisfies. Now I invite you to spend time
• 4:14
  with God in today's three-year Bible reading plan.
• 4:18
  Proverbs chapter 6, verses 6 to 11 World English Bible.
• 4:23
  Go to the Ant, you, Sluggard, consider her ways and be wise,
• 4:27
  which, having no chief overseer or ruler, provides her bread in
• 4:30
  the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.
• 4:32
  How long will you sleep, sluggard?
• 4:34
  When will you arise out of your sleep?
• 4:36
  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the
• 4:39
  hands to sleep? So your poverty will come as a
• 4:42
  robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.
• 4:44
  Matthew Chapter 18 World English Bible In that hour the disciples
• 4:49
  came to Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of
• 4:53
  heaven? Jesus called a little child to
• 4:55
  himself and set him in the middle of them, and said, Most
• 4:58
  certainly. I tell you, unless you turn and
• 5:00
  become as little children, you will in no way enter into the
• 5:03
  Kingdom of heaven. Whoever therefore humbles
• 5:06
  himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of
• 5:09
  heaven. Whoever receives one such little
• 5:12
  child in my name receives me. But whoever causes one of these
• 5:15
  little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for
• 5:18
  him if a huge millstone were hung around his neck, and that
• 5:22
  he were sunk in the depths of the sea.
• 5:24
  Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling, for it
• 5:27
  must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through
• 5:30
  whom the occasion comes. If your hand or your foot causes
• 5:34
  you to stumble, cut it off and cast it from you.
• 5:37
  It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled,
• 5:40
  rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the
• 5:43
  eternal fire. If your eye causes you to
• 5:46
  stumble, pluck it out and cast it from you.
• 5:48
  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye rather
• 5:52
  than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire.
• 5:56
  See that you don't despise one of these little ones, for I tell
• 5:59
  you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father
• 6:02
  who is in heaven. For the Son of Man came to save
• 6:05
  that which was lost. What do you think?
• 6:08
  If a man has 100 sheep and one of them goes astray, doesn't he
• 6:11
  leave the 99, go to the mountains, and seek that which
• 6:14
  has gone astray? If he finds it, most certainly,
• 6:17
  I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the 99 which have
• 6:21
  not gone astray. Even so, it is not the will of
• 6:24
  your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones
• 6:27
  should perish. If your brother sins against
• 6:30
  you, go show him his fault between you and him alone.
• 6:33
  If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother, but if
• 6:36
  he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you, that at the
• 6:39
  mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
• 6:43
  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly.
• 6:47
  If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you
• 6:50
  as a Gentile or a tax collector. Most certainly, I tell you,
• 6:54
  whatever things you bind on earth will have been bound in
• 6:57
  heaven, and whatever things you release on earth will have been
• 7:00
  released in heaven again. Assuredly I tell you that if 2
• 7:04
  of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they
• 7:07
  will ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in
• 7:10
  heaven. For where two or three are
• 7:12
  gathered together in My name, there I am in the middle of
• 7:14
  them. Then Peter came and said to him,
• 7:17
  Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive
• 7:21
  him? Until 7 times.
• 7:23
  Jesus said to him, I don't tell you until 7 times, but until 70
• 7:27
  * 7. Therefore the Kingdom of heaven
• 7:30
  is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with
• 7:33
  his servants. When he had begun to settle, one
• 7:36
  was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents, but because he
• 7:39
  couldn't pay, his Lord commanded him to be sold with his wife,
• 7:42
  his children and all that he had and payment to be made.
• 7:46
  The servant therefore fell down and knelt before him saying,
• 7:49
  Lord, have patience with me and I will repay you all.
• 7:53
  The Lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released
• 7:56
  him and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out and
• 7:59
  found one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 denarii, and he
• 8:02
  grabbed him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what you
• 8:05
  owe. So his fellow servant fell down
• 8:07
  at his feet and begged him, saying, Have patience with me,
• 8:10
  and I will repay you. He would not, but went and cast
• 8:14
  him into prison until he should pay back that which was due.
• 8:17
  So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were
• 8:19
  exceedingly sorry and came and told their Lord all that was
• 8:22
  done. Then his Lord called him in and
• 8:25
  said to him, You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt
• 8:29
  because you begged me. Shouldn't you also have had
• 8:31
  mercy on your fellow servant? Even as I had mercy on you?
• 8:35
  His Lord was angry and delivered him to the tormentors until he
• 8:38
  should pay all that was due to him.
• 8:41
  So my Heavenly Father will also do to you if you don't each
• 8:44
  forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.
• 8:48
  Thanks for joining us on Bible Chat, where Scripture meets
• 8:51
  everyday life. If today's devotional encouraged
• 8:55
  you, share it with a friend and be sure to follow the podcast so
• 8:58
  you won't miss the next conversation.
• 9:00
  Until next time, stay rooted in truth, anchored in hope, and
• 9:04
  walking daily with Jesus.