“Where’s Ricky?” Stan asked the new employee who came to our table one morning.
“Not sure,” he replied. “Some special errand Cook had for him. He’s supposed to be back in a couple of days.”
“Okay,” Stan said. “What’s your name?”
“Jason,” he replied, “and I’m going to be waiting on you this morning. What can I get you?”
After we ordered our coffee and breakfast, and Jason left to take care of it, Stan said, “Did you hear the spiritual significance of what that young man just said?”
“Spiritual significance?” I said. “All he did was ask what we wanted for breakfast!”
“Not the breakfast order part,” Stan replied. “The ‘waiting on us’ part.”
“The waiting on us part?” I said. “How does that have any spiritual significance?”
“The difference between waiting for God and waiting on Him.”
“So,” I said, “the difference between ‘on’ and ‘for’?
“That’s right,” Stan replied. “There are way too many times in my life when my focus is completely on waiting for God to do something, usually something I want Him to do for me.”
“However,” he continued, “it seems to me that what God really wants is for me to be waiting on Him, in the sense of serving Him.”
“So,” I replied, “the difference between focusing on yourself in waiting for God to do something for you, verses focusing on God to see how you can do something for Him. Is that it?”
“Exactly,” Stan replied. “Something for God and for His kingdom while I do another kind of waiting.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“While I wait for the train that’s going to take me to glory!” Stan replied with a smile.
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Bible verses to consider:
Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31.
And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only’.” Luke 4:8. (See also Deuteronomy 6:13).
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15.
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you want me to serve you. I confess that too often I am more interested in what you will do for me rather than what I can do for you and for your kingdom. Please forgive the foolishness of living this life that way. And please help me in following every step of your lead into an ever-deepening personal relationship where my focus is only on how I can serve you and your kingdom. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Is God waiting for you to arrive in heaven in the sense that you have accepted His free and gracious provision of life with Him for eternity when your time here is completed? If you have not done that, why? What’s in the way? If you do have the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in serving Him and His kingdom on this side of eternity? Do you too often find yourself waiting for God to do something for you, rather than focusing on what you can do for Him? If you sense the need for change, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 