The story is told of Queen Elizabeth who, tiring of the hustle and bustle of Buckingham Palace, asked her chauffeur one day to drive her out to the country. She would take a walk and he would come pick her up later. The Queen dressed like an ordinary person so no one would know who she was.
As she walked alone and enjoyed the peace and quietness of the countryside, the wind picked up and it started to rain. Knocking on a humble cottage door, the Queen asked if she could borrow an umbrella.
The woman who answered the door had two umbrellas, an old one and a very nice new one. She gave the stranger her old umbrella. After all, who knew if the woman would ever return it?
The next day the woman who owned the cottage was surprised to see a limousine drive up and stop outside her home. She peered out between the curtains, greatly puzzled as to why the chauffeur would be coming up the walk to her front door. When the man handed her the old umbrella he said, “The Queen wishes me to return your umbrella.” The woman cried out in dismay, “Oh, if only I had known who she was, I would have given her my best!”
This woman had a chance to do her Queen a service, to lend her an umbrella when she needed one. But she had given the Queen her old, tattered umbrella instead of her best one! She hadn’t realized who she was! And do we do the same to our Saviour, the King of kings and Lord of lords? Do we give him only five quick minutes of our time each day when we could make more time for Him? Or do we give Him no time at all? Do we stop to think who He is? “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:66For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)).
Do we love possessions or time-consuming interests more than we love Him? These modern-day idols can get a hold on us, and we let them take His place in our lives.
Psalm 69:2020Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. (Psalm 69:20) tells us about the Lord Jesus in His time of greatest trial: “I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.” Also Psalm 102:77I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top. (Psalm 102:7) says, “I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the housetop.” The Lord took Peter, James and John with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, but they fell asleep while He was agonizing in prayer over what He was about to go through for them and for us - bearing the punishment for our sins.
Let’s make Him happy by giving Him our best. He deserves our love and devotion, our time and energy. After all, every good thing that we have comes from Him. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights” (James 1:1717Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17)). “God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:1717Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; (1 Timothy 6:17)).
Have you given Him your best today?
ML-03/03/2002