As Ricky poured our coffee, he asked, “What are you guys going to have this morning, your usual?”
“I would like to look at the menu,” Stan replied. “Maybe I’ll have something different this morning.”
“I’ll be right back with the menus,” Ricky said as he hurried away.
“That surprises me,” I said to Stan. “You almost always have the blueberry pancakes.”
“I know,” Stan replied, “but I thought it might be good to see if something else appeals to me this morning.”
“Well,” I replied, “I know I’m going to have what I always have. No need to mix it up for me!”
Stan was quiet for a moment. “You know,” he replied, “what you just said is a good point for my faith walk.”
“How so?”
“Each day presents a variety of choices,” he replied. “A menu of choices, if you will. God presents a menu for me to look at and decide what choices I’m going to make.”
“I bet Satan does also,” I commented.
“Safe bet,” Stan replied. “And his menu is the one I have to watch out for. His menu, along with the menus of the world, the flesh, and, of course, self.”
“All kinds of menus, with all kinds of choices,” I said. “Probably a pretty good idea to stick to God’s menu, what He has for me.”
“You, my friend,” Stan exclaimed, “are a master of understatement! Of course, it’s better to stick to the usual, assuming my ‘usual’ is God’s menu. No need to be examining any other choices. There’s only danger lurking there.”
Just then Ricky returned with the menus. “Thanks,” Stan said to him, “but I’m going to stick with my usual. Bring me some of those fabulous blueberry pancakes!”
“Me, too,” I said to Ricky.
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Bible verses to consider:
Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14-16.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your provision of life eternally with you when it’s time. Thank you, too, for allowing me to pursue knowing you and Jesus in an ever-deepening relationship while you keep me on this side of eternity. I acknowledge that there are lots of choices in how I live the life you have given me to live, and I confess that too often I make choices that are contrary to you. Please forgive those wrong choices. Please help me in choosing only to follow you and what you have for me, not what self, the world, the flesh, and the devil have for me to follow apart from you. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Do you have the assurance of salvation, having accepted by faith God’s free and gracious gift? If no, why? What is holding you back? If you do have the assurance of spending eternity in God’s presence when it’s time, how are you doing with all of the different “menus” you are presented with each day, “menus” as to how to live your life while you wait for the train? If you sense that you may need to make changes in which menus you are looking at and choosing from, how are those changes going to happen? Do you want those changes to happen? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 