Tag: Consider your ways

Will Graham – Devotion

 

Haggai 1:6-7     “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!

 

Priorities and idols can be a constant struggle. Though we call on Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we tend to let the things of this world assume an exaggerated level of importance that crowds out our focus on Him.

It could be our jobs, our hobbies, our comfort, or even our children’s sports teams. We would rather skip church than miss the first five plays of an NFL game. We prefer sleeping in over gathering for worship.

Haggai may be one of those Old Testament books that gets quickly skipped over, but the whole account of Haggai is incredibly practical for the 21st century. One may even think that it was intended just for us living in this post-modern era, though it was written in 520 B.C.

In the first chapter, we see that the people had begun putting themselves before the Lord, focusing on building their own houses while neglecting the temple. In the years since returning from exile in Babylon, they had disregarded the house of God.

In verse 4, God–through His prophet Haggai–says, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”

This question tells us that the Israelites were doing the work required to build a certain level of luxury for themselves. Rather than having walls of mud or stone, their homes were overlaid (paneled) in wood. Conversely, no one was working on the temple. It laid in ruins.

The Israelites to whom Haggai was speaking were putting themselves before the Lord. The sin was not living in luxury or “paneled” homes, per se, but it was the idea of satisfying themselves instead of working on the things of God.

There are consequences to sin, and this was no exception. In fact, Haggai declares in verse 6 that many of the hardships that Israel was encountering were a direct result of their disobedience:

“You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

(This sounds a lot like our modern age, doesn’t it?)

In other words, the farmers would work hard on their crops every year, but the harvest would be inadequate. There was food, but children and adults alike would still be hungry at the end of the day. Those who could afford new clothes in order to stay warm were still cold. In essence, God showed them that if they try to meet their own needs, they would never be satisfied.

However, in verse 8, God gives a prescription for renewal with three imperatives: “Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified.”

Go, bring, and build. These were immediate marching orders. God demanded obedience now, not later.

The Israelites responded, reordered their priorities, and rebuilt the temple for His glory. In doing so, they grew spiritually as they returned God to His place of Lordship in their lives.

Let me ask you this: Has God given you direction, but you are waiting because you think it is not the right time? Are you avoiding your God-ordained calling because the work is too hard? Are you giving God the scraps while putting the majority of your focus into your own pursuits?

Or perhaps you’re accumulating all of the “toys” (your own version of “paneled walls”) you can get while neglecting your church.

I don’t ask these questions to make you feel guilty, but to encourage you to follow God’s prescription in the first chapter of Haggai. If you take a fair assessment of your spiritual life and realize that you’ve elevated other items or comforts above God, it’s time to go, bring, and build.

Go get the idols in your life–your education, your job, your hobbies, your addictions, your comforts. Bring them to God and lay them at His feet, repenting of your disordered priorities.

In their place, build your relationship with God by obeying His commands, through prayer, and studying His Word. Just as the Israelites grew spiritually as they turned back to God, you will find a new and deeper fulfillment in Him.

“Consider your ways!”

Haggai 1:5-7.  Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!

Reflect seriously upon this affair, whether it is consistent with the reason of things, or whether you have even promoted your own happiness by it as you thought to do. For as you have neglected him, so hath he withdrawn his blessing from you; the consequence of which has been, that nothing has prospered with you. (Benson)

Many good works have been intended, but not done, because men supposed the proper time was not come. Thus believers let slip opportunities of usefulness, and sinners delay the concerns of their souls, till too late.  (Henry)

Consider your ways; their sinful ways, and repent of them, and forsake them, particularly their ingratitude before observed; and their civil ways, their common ways of life; their labour, work, and business, they were continually employed in; and observe the event of them; what success they had, what these issued in; whether there were not some visible tokens of the divine displeasure on them, which rendered all their attempts to support and enrich themselves and families vain, and of no effect (Gill)

Haggai described a double curse. Instead of much, little was reaped; and the little that was brought home melted away without doing any good (earns wages to put into a bag with holes). “I do not know of any passage in the Bible that better describes the feverish yet ineffective activity of our own age.” (Boice)

If our priorities are wrong, nothing will satisfy us. Each accomplishment soon reveals that there must be something more, something that can really satisfy. Nothing fills the God-shaped void in our lives except putting Him first. (Guzik)

Neglecting God’s Word and giving little to no thought to things of God will certainly leave a void where the heart and soul and mind are constantly looking for that which will satisfy.  The problem is there is no thought given to the condition of their commitment to things of God. It is so easy in our time, where things of God are but a passing thought if at all.  Do you want joy, peace, and rest in your minds? Do you want to find purpose and satisfaction for your souls?  Make proper note of this: Things of this world and the ways of this world will never bring about a filling of the void in your hearts, minds, and souls. Every day that begins and ends without a thought of bringing honor and glory to Jesus Christ in all thoughts, words, and actions is a day that the things of this world you have chosen to follow after are more important.

14.f. “Partial obedience is not obedience”

Malachi 3:8  Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Haggai 1:6-11   You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.  “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.  Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.  You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.  Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.

Proverbs 3:9-10   Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;  then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Remember, partial obedience is no obedience. No one benefits from a tithe he or she holds on to.  The title grabbed my attention: “Our Church Was Robbed Recently.” The story that followed said:  “We are thankful that no one was injured physically, but it will be some time before things are back to normal. It’s clear that more than one person is responsible – in fact, there may actually be many people who have been party to the crime. Two things are most unfortunate about the robbery – one is that we have no assurances that it won’t happen again, and that is a bit unnerving! The other unfortunate element is that we’re certain that those who carried out the robbery are members of our church. It’s bad enough to know that a theft has occurred, but it’s really hard to imagine that professing Christians would actually steal from God and the ministries of his church. We can certainly hope that anyone who has participated in this act will repent and repay what has been taken. It’s reported that some of the stolen money has been used for vacations, cars, boats, designer clothes, athletic equipment, homes, and even dining out. We don’t have a complete list of all the suspects, but there is consolation in knowing that God does. “You haven’t read about this in the papers and hopefully you won’t. I realize that some of you will disagree, but it would be difficult to get a conviction in the courts given the clever way in which the robbery was carried out. You are probably also interested in how much was taken. The amount is undetermined, but at the very least exceeds many thousands of dollars. “By the way, the robbery happened in full view of the church during Sunday services. It happened as the offering plates were passed during Sunday school and worship. It also happened as people who didn’t come simply didn’t give the Lord’s tithe.”

Remember, partial obedience is no obedience. No one benefits from a tithe he or she holds on to.

by Rick Ezell

1.w. Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

2 Chronicles 11:13  And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived. For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord, and he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for the calves that he had made. And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers. They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.

Joshua 22:19    But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD’s land where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.

1 Samuel 7:3-4     And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only,

Haggai 1:5    Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

When Rehoboam started off his reign unwisely with unmerciful and prideful words there was a fraction that drove him out of their cities and his brother Jeroboam ruled over part of the land.  Jeroboam and his sons drove out the priests and Levites, the very people God had chosen to minister and sacrifice properly unto the Lord God.  He then created his own idols (gods) and appointed his own priests.  There were people who followed their leader in this false worship and abandonment from God, and they did it willingly, without thought, without worry, and with an intentional choice knowing those who do so deserve the wrath of God.  They turned their back on God.  They yielded their heart, mind, and soul to another.  Yet, I don’t want to speak about those who chose to willingly follow after false gods but rather those Levites, priests, and others who had set their hearts to seek God and they left everything and went to Jerusalem and Judah.  They went there because they saw the error of what was being presented to them in place of God.  They went there because they loved God.  They went there because staying where they were would have been wrong in the sight of God.

What is going on in your world that is pulling, dragging, enticing, and deceiving you away from seeking and following after God?  What have you accepted as perfectly ok to do because it is accepted by the people around you?  If for one second can you imagine God standing at your side?  Can you imagine God knowing what was being thought in your mind?  Can you imagine God hearing what you say or we’re going to say?  The truth is that God does know the thoughts and intents of your heart.  He knows the words you speak before they are on your tongue.

If we truly seek and desire God and practice His presence in our life every moment then we will not be pulled, dragged, enticed, or deceived away.  We will see it for what it is and seek direction, courage, strength, and knowledge on what to do and how to do it.

God may lead us away from it but may also direct you to stand firm and proclaim it is wrong.  Either way, staying close to God and seeking Him will always bear fruit in your heart and soul and mind.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”  Dr. Allen P. Ross, “The issue then is how deceptive evil is. It might promise and deliver happiness, power, and the good life, but it cannot sustain what it gives.” An excerpt from Enduring Word, “This makes plain our need for a revelation from God. We can’t entirely trust our own examination and judgment. To really know we are on the way of life (instead of the way of death), we need to fear the LORD and receive His wisdom, especially as revealed in His word.” A word from theologian Bruce Waltke, “The way of death is rarely clearly marked. “The safety and destiny of a road are not always as they appear. The deceptive road leads as certainly to death as the plainly marked one.” The importance of trusting in God’s Word instead of what seems right to us cannot be overstated. Diligently studying the Scriptures is never an exercise in futility. The only way to find true assurance that we are not on the way to death is by knowing God’s way to life. We must pass the test as laid out in Scripture or we are deceiving ourselves.

1.j. Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

1 Chronicles 22:17  David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, Is not Jehovah your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand; and the land is subdued before Jehovah, and before his people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek after Jehovah your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of Jehovah God, to bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of Jehovah.

Deuteronomy 4:29    But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 32:46-47   he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Haggai 1:5    Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

Psalms 27:4    One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life

1 Chronicles 16:11    Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!

David brings to the minds of everyone that it is obvious that God is with them because there is rest on every side, the inhabitants have been delivered into David’s hands and the land had been subdued.  All of this at the hand of God.  What normally happens when there is rest from trials and troubles?  What happens when we are prosperous and healthy?  Does God’s word stay relevant, important, sustaining, and guiding?  Does His word find a place in our heart and mind every day?  Do we hunger and thirst for His word?  I fear not.  I fear we become neglectful and complacent when there is rest from our trials and prosperity abounds.

How do we fight this?  We fight it with an intentional choice to humbly seek and desire to serve, honoring, following, trusting, and obeying God more and more each day.  We fight neglect by not being neglectful – it is an intentional choice.  We fight complacency by not being complacent – it is an intentional choice.  We need to be intentional about our commitment and walk with Jesus Christ.

Examine, Consider, Remember

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves”

“if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard”

 

Psalms 4:4
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.

Psalms 63:6
when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

Psalms 77:6
I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” Then my spirit made a diligent search:

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Lamentations 3:40
Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!

Ezekiel 18:28
Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

Revelation 3:2-3
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Revelation 2:5
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Haggai 1:7
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.

Col ossians 1:21
And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.

Consider your ways, ponder in your heart, meditate in your heart, examine your ways, remember, and WAKE UP, are all reminders in God’s word given to us.  Why are these reminders for us recorded?  It is so easy to get busy with life and things of family and work that soon our heart and mind are full, exhausted, and occupied.  How easy we forget Jesus Christ sacrifice freely given and the call on our lives to humbly serve, honor and glorify God.  Our lives are blessed when we walk with Him. Our lives are fuller when we not only meditate and consider our ways but when we do this in light of His word. We need His word in our lives daily.  Without it we have nothing but what the culture we live in and accepts as what is right and we do what seems “right in our own eyes”.  Purpose in your heart to read it, meditate on it, and consider your ways in light of it.