About men: Root out the ants

My home was inundated with ants, but it amazed me how organized they were. If food dropped on the floor, news quickly reached the rest of the colony. As their chances of getting it all are always limited, they attack food furiously to get it back to the nest before it is too late.

Individual workers go out foraging and when they find a real prize they leave a pheromone trail on the way back to the nest. Other ants then follow the trail and if they confirm the find, they do their own pheromone number until they are all doing it.

So I thought that ruthless cleaning (I am not yet compulsive), using strong smelling agents, would kill off their trail. A woman gives off pheromones with similar effect and my cleaning agents switched her off, so it all made sense. Cleaning helped, but it was a high maintenance task. Oh it kept them at bay for a while and their efforts went unrewarded, but they kept on coming anyway.

So then I got down on my knees to trace where they were coming from. That led me to nests hidden in cracks and crevices of the house that were too small to see. I lathered the cracks with poison – and walla, success. I succeeded because I got to the root or source, to kill off the nest and the queen.

Now, there are similar forces at work against our families. They come in waves and of course we leave enough to encourage them. Our worries, fears, sins and other follies are food indeed for the enemies of our soul. Some take it out on their families because of the negative consequences that such dark influences have. But I prefer to get down on my knees - because then I can see more clearly.

There are a number of thrones in heaven, but one is always accessible to us, the throne of grace or mercy seat. We have access to it through the veil that Christ rent on the cross. We also have the right to carry our own breastplate of precious stones on our hearts as we mediate for others.

The key to our strategy is to stop targeting symptoms or even the enemy we can see. We must target the nest, the root cause, where our issues multiply. We must take up the weapons of our warfare which are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds.

Our children often mirror our sins, so I find it useful to actively face up to the roots of sin in me before targeting those I pray for. We either inherit or bring iniquity upon ourselves. Such issues violate the objective laws of God, but by the same laws, repentance always brings blessing.

So approach His throne, without presumption or pretension. Humble yourself before Him and take the fight straight back to the source – and God will deliver your enemies into your hand, for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much in the sight of God.

(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net