JUST FOR LADIES – Camille Stahl

broken church

Today’s Passage – Haggai 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)

(Second Milers also read – Revelation 21 – 22; Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 30 – 31)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 18:3 & 46

Read the “0930 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

DISREPAIR 

“Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.”  (Haggai 1:5-7)

The children of Israel had forgotten God. They began to worship Baal. As a result, God allowed the Babylonian’s to take Israel captive. Around 538 B.C., Cyrus permitted the Jews to return home and rebuild their temple at Jerusalem.

Haggai was a man of God who preached to a poor, discouraged, and frightened people. He blamed their lack of success in all areas of their life to one thing, their neglect of the temple. He preached to the people to rebuild the temple. The people said it wasn’t time. Haggai replied, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste?” He rebuked the people for seeking their own prosperity while neglecting spiritual responsibilities. He preached to encourage the people who had undertaken the rebuilding. In his message he mentioned that it was sin and impure hearts that brought God’s punishment in the past and promised that obedience and pure hearts would bring divine blessings.

Like Israel, we find ourselves in a similar situation. Churches around the world are being neglected. The church has become unimportant as we are consumed with our own lives. We’re up early in the morning to get everyone ready for their day. Breakfast and lunches made, clothes washed and ironed and out the door we go. Then the drive to an eight hour day of work, with another drive back home. Then it’s homework with the kids, dinner, clean up, a few minutes with our spouses, then to bed. Saturday comes. Our beautiful homes take all day to tend to, food shopping and other errands are done.

Sunday morning comes:

I can’t go = “I’m tired. I only have one day to rest”.

Can’t give = “I don’t have the money”.

Can’t teach a Sunday school class = “I have no time to study”.

I won’t be there to help = “I have my own things to do”.

Excuses, we have many of them.  But if we’re not careful, we’ll find ourselves in captivity, and I believe we’re on our way already.  We must slow down.  Instead of fitting God in around our lives, we should be fitting our lives in around God.

What are you doing for the Lord?  What can you change to help ‘rebuild the temple?’  Are you fitting God in or fitting in your life?  It’s up to you!

Thank You

1 John 5:13

 


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