Give Careful Thought To Your Ways...
Verse of the Day:
A Call to Build the House of the Lord
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest:
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares The Lord.
Reflection: Today in Zephaniah, we see in chapter 3, that one day God would take a remnant of Israel to rebuild the temple. In Haggai that day had come. The Word of The Lord came to him in a question, "Is it time for you yourselves to be in paneled houses while the Lord's house remains in ruins." Then The Lord several times says "Give careful thought to your ways." He asks them to consider why they are working so hard but producing so little? Why are they being so ineffective and producing so little yield? We might say today they were "spinning their wheels".
And if they didn't know the answer to this rhetorical question God lays it out there pretty clear for them. He says you are busy with your own plans, while my house is dishonored and God takes no pleasure in it. So the corollary would be that in our worship God would be honored which would bring God great pleasure. So while the physical house was important and needed to be re-built, the more important thing for God was that it honored His name and was a priority for the people. You see the people had it backwards. They thought we will work and produce stuff and then get around to building God's house and honoring His name.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says something similar to the people of God when the temple was in similar condition. He says, "Seek first my kingdom and my righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." The people then were also worried about what they would eat and what they would wear. Jesus teaches them that their Father in heaven knows that they need these things, but He is looking for them to trust in Him for daily bread.
That is why it is so ironic when people say today, "I didn't get anything out of worship today!" As if worship was all about us. This week is one of the highlights of the church worship year. It is Advent where we focus on God becoming one of us. It is also one of the busiest times of the year. The question for us is will we take time to honor and give pleasure to God by being in a house of worship where the birth of a Savior, God's Son is born unto us. I hope to see you there!!
Readings For Today:
Psalm 145:1-7
Zephaniah 3; Haggai 1
Revelation 17:1-8
You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 4:2
Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16
God of the ages, you see us as we walk the fine line between fearing you and calling to you for our own purposes. Give us understanding of how fragile our human thoughts can be. Bless us with strength of spirit. Amen.
A Call to Build the House of the Lord
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest:
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares The Lord.
Reflection: Today in Zephaniah, we see in chapter 3, that one day God would take a remnant of Israel to rebuild the temple. In Haggai that day had come. The Word of The Lord came to him in a question, "Is it time for you yourselves to be in paneled houses while the Lord's house remains in ruins." Then The Lord several times says "Give careful thought to your ways." He asks them to consider why they are working so hard but producing so little? Why are they being so ineffective and producing so little yield? We might say today they were "spinning their wheels".
And if they didn't know the answer to this rhetorical question God lays it out there pretty clear for them. He says you are busy with your own plans, while my house is dishonored and God takes no pleasure in it. So the corollary would be that in our worship God would be honored which would bring God great pleasure. So while the physical house was important and needed to be re-built, the more important thing for God was that it honored His name and was a priority for the people. You see the people had it backwards. They thought we will work and produce stuff and then get around to building God's house and honoring His name.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says something similar to the people of God when the temple was in similar condition. He says, "Seek first my kingdom and my righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well." The people then were also worried about what they would eat and what they would wear. Jesus teaches them that their Father in heaven knows that they need these things, but He is looking for them to trust in Him for daily bread.
That is why it is so ironic when people say today, "I didn't get anything out of worship today!" As if worship was all about us. This week is one of the highlights of the church worship year. It is Advent where we focus on God becoming one of us. It is also one of the busiest times of the year. The question for us is will we take time to honor and give pleasure to God by being in a house of worship where the birth of a Savior, God's Son is born unto us. I hope to see you there!!
Readings For Today:
Psalm 145:1-7
Zephaniah 3; Haggai 1
Revelation 17:1-8
You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 4:2
Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:16
God of the ages, you see us as we walk the fine line between fearing you and calling to you for our own purposes. Give us understanding of how fragile our human thoughts can be. Bless us with strength of spirit. Amen.
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