Give careful thought

READ: Haggai 1-2; Proverbs 23; Revelation 13

SCRIPTURE: Haggai 2: 18 ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought:
19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. “‘From this day on I will bless you.’”

OBSERVATION: We begin various works at different times. However, many of them get dropped over a period, and only a few are fully accomplished until the end. Some unfinished works wait for long without completion, like Shubert's unfinished symphony. Sometimes, people may forget the original purpose of such unfinished works. We see such an instance in the history of Jews. In 538 B.C, after 70 years of exile, as the Lord prophesied to his people, King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Within two years, they completed the foundation work of the Lord’s temple. However, when they faced opposition and threats, and imperial order against their work, they soon forgot to rebuild the temple.

The returned exiles became busy building their houses and were saying excuses that “The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house their affairs” (Hag.1:2). After the foundation was laid out, there was no improvement in the gloriously started temple work until (about 16years) God stirred the people through prophet Haggai. So God repeatedly called the remnant people to “Give careful thought” to what he says about them (Haggai 1:5, 7, 2:15,18.) God reminded his people that their disobedience was the reason for their unfruitful work and poor harvest (Deut.28:38–39; Lev 26:20). However, when God spoke to them, they “obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai” (Hag.1:12). When the Jews obeyed and changed their priorities to put God’s work first, they received great promises and God’s assurance of his presence. With God’s help through his prophets and people’s obedience to God’s words to do his work, as history says, within four years, the temple work was finished. It was not as magnificent and big as Solomon’s temple. However, our Lord Jesus visited the small second temple and spoke to the crowd. When they kept God and his work in the first place, it became a blessing for many. At times, we too may have prioritized our own works instead of God’s work. When we keep the main thing the main thing, it turns out to be a blessing for many. We need to give careful thought about what God wants us to do. Let us examine ourselves and give careful thought that whether we keep God at the centre of our life and focus on his works.

APPLICATION: When I face opposition and an unfavorable environment against God’s work, I should not take it as an excuse for abstaining from God’s work and focussing on something else that matters to me. I should seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. When I keep God at the centre of my life, he gives me all I need. As a Christian, I should do whatever the Lord asks of me. When I obey God and focus on his priorities, my life will become a blessing for many.

 PRAYER:  Father God, thank you for choosing me to be your child to proclaim the praises of God who called me out of darkness into his marvelous light. Jesus, thank you for teaching and giving the faith that overcomes the world. Holy Spirit, help me to obey God’s words and strengthen me to live accordingly. Amen.

- Arputharaj Samuel
+91 9538328573

Day – 356

(Tamil version of this devotion is posted here)