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| God's Blessing |
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| Written by Doug Craven | |
| Wednesday, 04 November 2009 | |
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God’s Blessing Haggai 1:1 -2:9 The nation of Judah, the southern kingdom of the divided Jewish nation had fallen in 586 BCE to the Babylonian Empire. The people of Judah had rebelled heavily against the Babylonians, which lead to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. 50 years later Babylon would fall to Persia, and Cyrus the King of Persia would now allow the people to begin returning to their home in Judah and Jerusalem. And Cyrus was noted as saying that God had given him all these nations to rule and that God had told him to rebuild the temple. So it was that the people were to begin rebuilding the temple upon their return. But 18 years later the temple was not rebuilt. As the people had gotten caught up in their own daily affairs and needs, wants and desires. Haggai’s message to the people was to teach them how to get their priorities straight. He gave them a word from God that reversed their self serving ways and motivated them to engage in God’s work. Like these people we often place too much emphasis on our own concerns forgetting to put God’s work, will and worship first. Many people needlessly spend too much effort worrying, working and wrestling with things without the blessings of God. When God is pleased with our priorities He promises to empower, guide and enable us to enjoy His supernatural blessings. Haggai spoke to the people calling them back to God’s values. “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?” (Hag. 1:4) Many people fail to realize they are living displeasing lives and so fail to repent of their sins of omission. And the Prophet goes on to tell the people that they have been missing out on the power of true blessings from God because the people had failed to live into the commitment to God. Haggai spoke in chapter 1 verses 7-11, “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Consider how you have fared: Go up to the hills and bring wood and build a house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You have looked for much and lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home I blew it away. Why? Says the Lord of Hosts. Because it lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the Land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings, and animals, and on their labors.” May the mind of Christ our Savior live in us in everyway. Let us come to know, that if we embrace the will of God we will live to be pleasing unto God. And in turn we will have our greatest blessings in allowing the life of Christ to flow out of us and into the world around us. ....Doug Craven |
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