Be Like a Locust

6John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.

– Mark 1:6
(NASB® © 2020)

John the Baptist’s diet of locusts and wild honey may not be one we would choose, but it sustained him. The locusts are especially interesting because, unlike most flying insects, they were classified as clean animals. According to Old Testament dietary laws, any flying insects that have jointed legs for jumping, such as locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers, were clean and could be eaten (Lev. 11:21–22). Other flying insects creep upon the earth when not airborne and were therefore considered unclean (Lev. 11:20)—even though some, like butterflies, might be graceful and attractive.

What can we learn from the locusts? For one thing, their nature as jumping insects shows they are not really creatures of the earth. Some insects fly for a while but then walk along the ground. Likewise, the people of this world may have lofty ideals, yet they “dwell on the earth” (Rev. 17:8) and reject the God of heaven. By contrast, locusts spend as much time as they can in the air. As believers, our connection to this earth should also be very slight. We have to live in the world, but our spiritual instinct ought to be a heavenly one.

The insatiable appetite of locusts is another well-known characteristic. God frequently used swarms of locusts and their resulting devastation as a tool of judgment. But from the positive side, every believer should have the same limitless appetite for the Word of God. Wherever we find a green tendril of truth, let us devour it!

And third, the Scriptures commend locusts because they “have no king, yet they all advance in ranks” (Prov. 30:27). Our Lord, too, is unseen. Can we keep rank as well as the locusts? By the Spirit of God, we each have a role to play and a gift to exercise. May we do so with energy and faithfulness.

Comments (0)

No comments yet.

Share this article:

You want to contact us? Ask a question or let us know what you think! 

Write a message here!

Leave a Comment

Abiding in Christ

This article is about abiding in Christ as both privilege and responsibility: only by living in dependence on His presence can believers bear “fruit” that reflects His character. It stresses that fruit isn’t produced by striving for it, but by focusing on Christ—“without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4–5

The Favor of the World

This article is about how the world’s praise can be shallow and fleeting. Using Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to Daniel and the crowd’s reversal toward Paul, it warns that exaggerated favor can quickly turn into hostility without true inner change.
 Daniel 2,46

Which Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation?

This article is about whether today’s Christians will face the Great Tribulation. It argues the church will be raptured before end-time wrath, explains the rapture vs. Christ’s public appearing, and identifies the believers in Revelation’s tribulation as those who come to faith after the rapture.
Marriage & Family

Situationship

This article is about “situationships”: undefined, commitment-free relationships that blur friendship and romance. Using Leon and Emma as an example, it warns they create imbalance and hurt, and argues from a biblical view for clarity, responsibility, protection, purity, and commitment toward marriage.
Amos 3:3

The Hummingbird – a Masterpiece of God’s Creation

This article is about the hummingbird as a marvel of nature—exploring its unique hovering flight, specialized wing and muscle structure, extreme metabolism, nectar-feeding tongue design, and cooling methods, framed as evidence of divine creative power.
Romans 1:20

Scripture Alone?!

This article is about whether 2 Timothy 3:16–17 undermines “Scripture alone.” It argues the passage supports Scripture’s sufficiency, distinguishes apostolic teaching from later tradition, affirms NT authority, and says the church recognized—not created—the canon.
2 Timothy 3:16.17

Revelation—Not a Book with Seven Seals!

This article is about why the Bible’s book of Revelation isn’t a sealed mystery but an “unveiling” of future events centered on Jesus Christ. It explains key opening verses, symbolic language, the chain of revelation, and the blessing for reading, hearing, and keeping its message.
Revelation 1:1-3
Gospel

My Sin is Great

This article is about sincere confession: admitting our sin is great and seeking forgiveness for God’s name’s sake. It explains that faith trusts God’s mercy shown in Christ’s cross, producing honesty that doesn’t downplay guilt, and notes the Psalms’ purposeful order.
Psalm 25:11
Church/Assembly

All Present Before God

This article is about Acts 10:33 and Cornelius’s gathering as a model for Christian meetings: obedience to God’s leading, awareness of God’s presence, listening to the whole message without picking parts, and speaking only what God commands—nothing added or omitted.
Acts 10:33

Q&A What does it mean, that God has given us “of His Spirit”

This article is about the meaning of “from His Spirit” in 1 John 4:13, explaining it doesn’t mean believers receive only part of the Spirit. Instead, it highlights what proceeds from God’s Spirit—love, truth, holiness—becoming visible evidence that God abides in us.
1 John 3:24; 4:13

Our Great High Priest

This article is about Jesus as the superior High Priest in Hebrews: His once-for-all sacrifice for sin, His ongoing heavenly service with compassion and help for believers, and His continual intercession before God that brings grace, mercy, and confidence to draw near.
Hebrews 2:17–18; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24
Bible Study

The Old Man and The New Man

This article is about the New Testament concepts of the “old self” and “new self”: the old self judged and crucified with Christ, the new self created in His resurrection, and how believers should live out their new identity by putting off old traits and displaying Christlike ones.
Romans 6:6; Ephesians 2:15; 4:22.24; Colossians 3:9.10