"1. IN THE second year of
Darius king [of Persia], in the sixth month, on the first day of the
month, the word of the Lord came by means of Haggai the prophet [in
Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity] to Zerubbabel son of
Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high
priest, saying, 2. Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say, The time is not yet come that the Lord's house should be rebuilt [although Cyrus had ordered it done eighteen years before]. 3. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4. Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [of the Lord] lies in ruins? 5. Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you. 6. You
have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not
have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe
yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them
to put them in a bag with holes in it. 7. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared. 8. Go
up to the hill country and bring lumber and rebuild [My] house, and I
will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified, says the Lord [by
accepting it as done for My glory and by displaying My glory in it]. 9. You
looked for much [harvest], and behold, it came to little; and even when
you brought that home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts.
Because of My house, which lies waste while you yourselves run each man
to his own house [eager to build and adorn it]. 10.Therefore the heavens above you [for your sake] withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its produce. 11. And
I have called for a drought upon the land and the hill country, upon
the grain, the fresh wine, the oil, upon what the ground brings forth,
upon men and cattle, and upon all the [wearisome] toil of [men's] hands. 12. Then
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high
priest, with all the remnant of the people [who had returned from
captivity], listened to and obeyed the voice of the Lord their God [not
vaguely or partly, but completely, according to] the words of Haggai the
prophet, since the Lord their God had sent him, and the people
[reverently] feared and [worshipfully] turned to the Lord. 13. Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, spoke the Lord's message to the people saying, I am with you, says the Lord." Haggai 1:1-13 AMP As a Parent, my Husband and I know that sometimes your Children don't always do what they are told. They might drag their feet in doing something, get distracted and forget, or even just put it off as long as they can until the very last minute, which usually ends up being too late. Now there is mercy, giving them the benefit of the doubt, and possibly extending the due date or time. But if a Child continues to disregard, or put off doing what they know they need to, and show no thoughts of improving, then things get taken away. Their fun things are slowly taken away, such as video games, time with friends, going places, T.V., and / or other privileges. We remove these things in hopes that they will, "Consider their ways" and think about the choices they made. Hopefully it will motivate them, (along with Mom and Dad's instructions), to re-think what they have done (or not done), apologize and commit to make better choices. Then do it! When they show us that they have made a change in their choices (over a period of time), wonderful things happen, they get their privileges back! God is the same way with His Children. If you have been following His Commands, reading His Word, Loving others, Forgiving offenses, putting God first, etc. you will recall that things, most likely, were pretty nice! Life was on the up and up! But if something has changed, and things have become difficult, most likely you have stopped doing something that He commanded, and / or that you used to do before. It's time to Consider your ways! Think back. What has changed? Did He tell you to do something, and you have not done it, or put it off? Most likely, that's where it began. Maybe He told you to forgive someone for something, but you haven't. Maybe He told you to give that Tithe, but you stopped because you were concerned about having enough. Maybe you were afraid to do what He told you to do. What ever the reason, you can turn it all around! As God to forgive you for not doing what He told you to do. Then, make a conscious decision to do it, no matter what! Forgive that person, with all of your heart! If you need to learn how to get over the pain so you can truly forgive them, get a book on it and study the subject. (See our book section in "Our Store"!) Tithe what He told you to! It's too important not to! Don't be afraid, PRAY for His Wisdom and what to do. He will make a way where there seems to be no way! Keep doing it daily! It might take some time, but if you keep on it, things get better. God loves you, and He wants the very best for you. But you need to be obedient as any Parent would expect of their Children. Turn that thing around! Consider your ways, and make the necessary adjustments today! Blessings. -Margo |
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