4. Get in Step
“The locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank.”
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
The next little animal in our proverb has thin, gauzy wings and a sharp jaw. The Bible calls it a locust. Locusts breed in desert places, and invade cultivated lands for food. They will travel in a column about a hundred feet deep and as much as four miles long. When locusts leave an area, not a blade of grass is to be seen.
What can such a horribly destructive creature teach us? The locust teaches us that if we keep step and walk side by side with one another, the work of Christ cannot fail. The locusts have no king, yet they stay together and conquer cities and countries, bringing famine and distress. We have a King. Think what good we could do if we cooperated as we follow God.
God intended the members of an individual congregation to work together. God expects all Christians to work together, not necessarily as one great organization, but with a spirit of cooperation. We waste time, energy, and resources on competition. Some of the best things the church is doing are in connection with other Christians: disaster relief, refugee resettlement, Christian Education materials, Bible societies, and foreign missions. God would be please if we did more of this.
For Reflection: Do I think my church is superior to all others?
A Prayer Seed:
Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song;
Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King;
This through countless ages we and angels sing.
Sabine Baring-Gould, 1864 (alt.)
