6 Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
7 Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
8 she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
Prudence is a commendable virtue, and is taught us by the ants. This is the link with the previous section. Improvidence is not the same as faith; it is the grossest pre- sumption to act the part of the sluggard, and then to expect divine provision in the hour of need. Diligence and carefulness are both commanded and commended by the Lord, and both alike honour Him. To revert to the illustration in yesterday's Note, people who become bogged down with hire-purchase payments show a certain improvidence and impracticality in their daily living; their danger, like the sluggard's, is that of wanting it both ways: wanting to be improvident now, and provident for the future too. From an- other standpoint, and in a different connection, it may be thought that prudence in lay- ing up for the future militates against the idea of living by faith, but there is a confusion in such thinking. It cannot be an evidence of lack of faith, because prudence comes un- der the providence of God, and is prompted by that providence. It is a different matter if a man sets store by riches. But true prudence is the fruit of a diligent spirit. Industrious- ness is the prevailing characteristic in the ant; and when this characterises a man's life, he will not be too keen to have another stand surety for him. He will be too indepen- dent. And a good thing too: There is a lot to be said for the attitude that characterised our forebears, by which they accepted as a matter of course - and as a matter of principle that you did not buy anything until and unless you could afford it, and that if you want- ed it, you worked hard to save and sacrifice for it, for months, and even years, if need be. It was assuredly a better and more satisfying way to live - and more scriptural too!