8:00AM: Vanguard Scouting (LDS) Daily Devotions

Thursday, 07/27: Thrifty

Scripture

Proverbs 6:6-8 – “Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.”

Thought for the Day

King Solomon would be quick to remind Scouts in the great outdoors of what he wrote about watching ants. Solomon would frequently make use of examples in the natural world to teach wisdom principles. A seemingly unimposing creature, the ant appears only twice in the Bible—here and in Proverbs 30:25. In both places, it appears as an example of wisdom and thriftiness, since ants work hard to store up food. They are unusual examples of industry, hard work, and determination. Apparently, ants have no leader to direct them or inspect their work, yet they work better than many people under a leader! Ants also work for their future needs, storing and gathering while it is warm, before winter comes. Anyone who has closely watched ants as they work to drag seemingly impossibly large bits of food to their nests will readily agree with Solomon that ants are striking examples of hard work.

We are slowly learning, but still live in a throw-away society. Dumps, landfills, litter, and pollution of creation stand as a silent, and ugly rebuke to this non-thrifty way of life. The Leave No Trace principles taught in Scouting represent a completely opposite way of thinking. This care and respect for our planet is an excellent example of being thrifty and will preserve the Summit for Scouts for generations to come. Environmental thrift is not limited to Scouting. There are dozens of websites devoted to earth-friendly ways to be thrifty. These include household and personal use of water, electricity, tech, paper and plastic products, care of your pets, food, and kitchen supply choices, composting and gardening, car care and maintenance, repair, re-use, and repurposing ideas. You can launch an Environmental Club at your school or church, organize a community clean-up or recycling drive, plant trees, support eco-oriented businesses and websites. Having been blessed with this beautiful planet one of our duties to God is to take gentle care of it. Being thrifty is sometimes mistaken for being stingy or cheap. Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to environmental thriftiness. This kind of thrift benefits the whole planet and everyone on it. King Solomon would approve.

Questions for Discussion

• Is your unit intentional about following Leave No Trace principles in all your outings? If not, would you consider being your unit’s LNT Champion?
• How are you being environmentally thrifty at home, at school and in your daily life? What can you do more of or better?

Prayer

Creator God: Maker and Sustainer of our beautiful planet, help me to see the beauty of creation in all that I do. Lead me to a lifestyle of environmental thriftiness that is a blessing to the earth and all its inhabitants. A Scout is Thrifty. Amen.