Courthouse Queue
I don’t use United Kingdom words that often, but I will shine my torch on one this day: queue (I would spell it differently).
Yes, today I was standing in line, or, rather, I was in queue to register my daughter’s car at our county courthouse. While standing there, looking down and noticed something fairly profound and had to take a picture.
…and I sucked in my gut so you could see my feet.
Literally, there at my feet were two completely profound statements! One would have been enough, but two? Yes, two statements in one picture. Two thoughts worth pondering. Two very real truths.
First Truth
“Wait here until called for service.”
Now, I know that we should always be about the Lord’s work, serving as we go. But when I look at this all I can think of are those who rush ahead into something God never called them to do – or be.
Believe it or not, rushing ahead of the line (or cue), not waiting for God to give the go-ahead, can be devastating. How many have sold all to go to the mission field, only to find out later they were not meant to be there? How many have rushed to stand behind a pulpit without a firm confirmation of their calling?
People have done many things without waiting on God, from ministry to marriage, and have lived to regret their hastiness. Oh that we would be more like David when he said, “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope” (Psalm 130:5).
Maybe you have already been called, but asked to step back in line for a moment. Be patient! Wait upon the Lord as He renews your strength; lifts you up on eagles’ wings; so that you may once again run and not get weary; walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).
Second Truth
You are next.
Did you hear the one about the man who’s mother-in-law drove his brand-new truck off the side of a bluff? He had mixed emotions.
Knowing you are “next” is great if what you’re next in line for is a good thing. But what if you’re next in line for something bad to happen? Knowing you are next is not good news, is it?
Well, believe it or not, there are people reading this that are next. Next for what? I don’t know, but they should be ready. You might be next in line for a heart attack or cancer. You may be the very next one in your family to get married, or have a child. Or, you might be the next one to get a terrible phone call in the night.
“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” – Proverbs 27:1
Either way, you are next for something, and only God knows what that is. Are you right with Him? Are you willing to follow where He leads? Don’t be afraid, just put your faith in Jesus Christ and let Him guide you through what’s ahead.
“Next!”
Update: Not six hours after publishing this, I had to take my wife to the Emergency Room. As of this moment (Saturday evening) she is still in unexplained chest pain. She is now in the hospital and I’ve been awake close to 40 hours.
What’s next? Nobody knows. But God is still good!
Every hour that passes, ever second of every minute, is another moment in time we will never get back. Our time here on Earth is so short, so fleeting, that we are compared by the Psalmist worthless self-perceptions and the nothingness that is shadow.
I am not exactly an Olympic champion, but I have received a few rewards/awards in my lifetime. A few of those are pinned to my bright orange vest that I wear while driving a school bus.
The Recovering Legalist 