Useful Place

Have you ever been a straggler and been accused of “always behind, like a cow’s tail?”  Well, as the story goes … the cow didn’t know the usefulness of her tail until she lost it and became troubled with flies, which her tail brushed off!

God’s design is that each of us be useful for His glory.  With all respect, I won’t refer to them as the “cow’s tail,” but the Tribe of Dan brought up the rear when Israel marched.  Scripture actually describes the Danites’ position as the “hindmost” (Numbers 2:31).  By the world’s standards, it’s certainly not something to write home about!  The position was, however, by God’s design and [even last] they were among great company!  “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” (1 Corinthians 12:18)  By God’s perfect design, each Believer is set in a useful place in God’s Kingdom, which comes with particular responsibilities and subsequent blessings.  Spurgeon writes, “Fiery spirits may dash forward over untrodden paths to learn fresh truth, and win more souls to Jesus; but some of a more conservative spirit may be well engaged in reminding the Church of her ancient faith, and restoring her fainting sons.”  I fear Christians have forgotten the urgency of faithfully tending their places of usefulness to Christ both inside and outside The Church.  The idea of last and least often lead to apathy making His Church dysfunctional and lacking in testimony to the world as well as care for others.  Believers desperately need one another to be sober, vigilant and steadfast in the faith (Colossians 5:8-9) wherever our places of usefulness.  According to Numbers 31, the Children of Israel obediently put themselves to their posts without murmuring or complaining, which became to them their beauty and God’s Glory.  I really don’t know any more about that cow’s tail story than what I read, but there is a usefulness unto Christ for every Believer.  Don’t take it lightly!