There’s a wonderful story about a king who was growing old and had no son to succeed him. So, a competition was held among all the young men of the land, until only three were left. The final competition was to be a footrace. The instructions were clear: when the referee shouted “Go!”, the runners were to stand perfectly still until the king himself gave a special signal. The runners lined up, the referee yelled “Go!”, and immediately one of the young men bounded forward, then stopped. A second young man, seeing the first begin to run, also sprang forward. Pretty soon they were both sprinting toward the finish line. The third stood anxiously at the starting line, waiting for the king’s signal. When he saw his competitors cross the finish line, he was sure he’d lost. Much to his surprise, he soon discovered that the winner of this particular competition wasn’t the fastest runner, but the one who did as the king commanded.
In a world where it seems as though winning and achievement are the only things that matter, what God wants from us most is obedience – not success, but obedience. Are YOU waiting for the King’s signal?