Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

Wisdom is something we all should seek to obtain. It is the key to living a life full of meaning and vibrancy! And this proverb gives us some examples of wise behavior as reflected in some various creatures.

The overall point I see him making is that wisdom is not dependent on size, family history or lineage, or even rank or position. He notes that the small, relatively unnoticeable creatures have it. And he points as evidence to their actions.

1) Ants store up food for the winter. This is highlighting the process of planning ahead, gathering resources while they are available, and building storage and storing away. The Biblical parallels here are many. One I like is this: Feed off of the Word of God while you can. Store it away in your mind and then, when trials come, it will give you insight to see the beauty of God’s work in the midst of the evil of this world.

2) Hyraxes (or Badgers), though possessing little power, make their homes among the rocks. And the rocks provide for them. They gain protection from the elements, a strong and secure home, and the higher ground from which to stand their ground. In life, what we build, the way we build it, the resources we use, and the foundation we build off of … makes a huge difference! The Bible says Jesus is the cornerstone, the rock on which we stand. If we build on Jesus, we will always have the higher ground. We are given the Bible, prayer, God’s promises, and saints who have gone before us and those present today. If we build our faith using these resources, it will be well built, lasting through any storm in this life. But to do this, we must be humble and willing to listen to Godly advice.

3) Locusts advance in rank with no set leader. They are smart enough to know their individual limitations and understand that together they can accomplish much! We are placed in the Body of Christ for a reason. We are not leaderless like the locusts. So like them we should lock arms and take spiritual ground, especially since we have a great leader in Jesus.

4) Lizards are easily caught but find their way into kings’ palaces. How? Persistence. They do not give up. They find a way to get where they want to go. We must also be persistent in sharing the good news about Jesus. We will be rewarded greatly if we stay the course. God recognizes our hard work under his leadership. So we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness!

Lord, teach me and help me to model myself after these small creatures. May I learn to build my faith by storing up the treasures of your word and building from a perfect cornerstone/rock in Jesus. May I unite with the brothers and sisters in your Church and become persistent to continue to pursue the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! May I dwell in the King’s palace!