Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.

On one especially stormy night, the playhouse audience was so slim that there were only a few people in the very back seats of the theatre. Chief among the cast for the play was Edwin Booth, the great Shakespearean actor. The rest of the cast was so discouraged that they pleaded with Booth to cancel the performance. Booth's reply has gone down in history. "No, we shall go on. Remember, the king sits in every audience.. Play to him." In the following hours, Booth presented one of the finest performances of his honoured career. The next day, the king sent for Booth and made public the actor's words to his cast. Although Booth had been unaware of the fact, one of the men in the shadows of the last row of the theatre on that stormy night had been none other than the king himself.

How much easier it would be for us to do the distasteful, burdensome tasks of life if we fully realized that indeed the King of the Universe is the audience of all that we do. Somehow it would mean that we wouldn't have to worry about receiving the praise of men, or be seeking for the best tasks with the most honours. The King of kings is always watching. Play to Him.

Prayer: Transform our lives, O Lord, with the knowledge that even things we dislike can be pure service to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Robin Ross <rross@telus.net>
Mission, British Columbia, Canada
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