Good Ground
Today’s Passage – Matthew 12 – 13 (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 – Psalms 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read the “1009 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” – (Matthew 13:8)
I have always enjoyed studying these parables in Matthew 13. The Parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3 – 9; 18 – 23) in particular has helped me to understand many things about the nature of people. I have been a Christian now for a long time, and I have observed many people come and go through the years. It grieves me when people fizzle out spiritually; some even turning their backs completely on the Lord. This parable sheds a lot of light as to why that happens.
In this passage, Jesus uses soil to illustrate the four different kinds of life situations that the seed of the gospel comes in contact with. My goal in this short devotional thought is not to discuss in detail each of these different types of lives that is impacted by the gospel seed; but I would like to make some observations about the “good ground”. After all it is the good ground that produces the most fruit, isn’t it? So what are the characteristics of good ground?
1 Good ground is well watered and fertilized. It contains all of the nutrition that it needs in order to be healthy. I have never been a gardener, but I have heard many say that when they fortify the soil with plant food (like Miracle Gro), the plants will produce much more fruit, and the overall appearance of the plant will be that of health. Christians need to be nourished and watered daily by spending time with God in His Word. The spiritual nutrition that we receive from the Word of God will yield much fruit in our lives. We will starve to death spiritually without it.
2 Good ground does not contain a lot of rocks and debrit that will hinder the root system. Rocks will also hinder the retention of water. Jesus says that this illustrates the person who never allows the Word of God to take root in his life. Many Christians make professions of faith, but never get grounded in the Word through a a discipeship program in a good local church. As a result, they never develop a strong root system that will help them get established. They do well for a while, but they cannot survive any stress that may come their way.
3 Good ground is weeded regularly. Now, I do know a little something about weeds. There have been times when all of the flower beds at the church were overrun with weeds. It became a huge project to dig them all up. Weeds will steal all of the nutrition and water that the plant needs to survive. This scenario pictures the Christian who allows a lot of the world’s distractions to get into his life. He becomes too busy, and often too carnal to produce fruit anymore in his life.
As you can see from this passage, there is not a lot that we can do to change the fact that some people will continue to grow and produce fruit throughout their lives, and some simply will fizzle out or fall away completely. However, we can do something about the soil of our own hearts. We can make sure that we are maintaining the “good ground” by keeping well-watered and fertilized with the Word of God; by removing any rocks or impediments that will hinder our root system; and by removing any weeds (distractions, weights) that may steal away the nutrition that is necessary for a healthy and fruitful life.
Posted in Thoughts from Matthew by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Rest
Today’s Passage –Matthew 10 – 11 (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 – Psalms 36 – 40; Proverbs 8)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read the “1008 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – (Matthew 11:28-30)
Ah, rest! Rest is a wonderful thing. The older I get the more I cherish a Sunday afternoon nap, or perhaps an early evening where I can climb into bed and fall asleep reading a good book. Rest is one of those wonderful necessities of life. We do not function well without enough of it. God commanded that His people take one day out of seven in order to rest and refresh their tired bodies:
“Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.” – (Deuteronomy 5:13-14)
I think America was a much better place when we used to all take the day off on Sundays so that we could go to church, eat an afternoon meal with the family, and rest.
However, physical rest is not what Jesus was talking about when he promised to give rest in Matthew 11:22. The rest spoken of there is not Sabbath rest, nor was Jesus speaking here of the eternal rest that awaits the child of God in Heaven. The rest referred to in this verse is the rest that we receive when we stop trying to work our way into Heaven, and simply receive the free gift of eternal life that Christ wants to us to have. But it goes beyond just salvation itself. Christ continues to give us rest as we yield our lives, our wills to Him and His will. We do not have to figure it all out for ourselves. We can simply let Him guide and direct our lives. It is certainly a lot easier to know that God has an awesome plan for our lives, and we simply need to follow Him, instead of trying to work out the way for ourselves.
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” – (Hebrews 4:9-11)
One more thought. Be careful that as a Christian you don’t get so absorbed in the work of God, that you don’t take the necessary time that you need to rest. There are a lot of Christian workaholics out there who feel the church will die unless they are personally giving every minute of their time serving. We need to remember to get enough physical rest, as well as spiritual refreshment, which comes through time spent with God in meditation, study, and prayer. Don’t get too busy with the work of God that you forget to spend time with the God of the work. Don’t forget about your family, either. Your spouse and children need some of your free time as well.
“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” – (Luke 10:41-42 )
Posted in Thoughts from Matthew by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
What Do You See?
Today’s Passage – Matthew 7 – 9 (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 – Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read the “1007 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this morning’s passage – “What Is Your House Built Upon?“
“And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11)
In our reading today we learned about the conversion and calling of Matthew. Matthew was at his work of collecting taxes when the Lord approached him and called him to follow. The Bible tells us that Matthew immediately left his job to follow the Lord. He didn’t even give two weeks notice! Shortly after this, Matthew invites the Lord to his house to dine with him and his friends. Now this was not the crowd that hung out down at the synagogue. These were a rough bunch of “publicans and sinners.” The kind you would tell your kids to stay away from. Jesus saw this as a tremendous opportunity to minister, and to shew mercy to these folks. The Pharisees, on the other hand, saw an opportunity to criticize. They found fault with Jesus, wondering aloud as to why he would associate with such a group of “rabble rousers.”
Our church was running a “Kid’s Club service on a Wednesday Night and I occasional have to drive the bus to pick up the kids. I remember one particular night there was an extraordinary number of kids that got on the church bus to come to the service. As we were driving through the complexes, we were amazed! The kids just kept getting on the bus. Some of them I had never seen before. I was excited because I knew that this was a tremendous opportunity to reach some of them with the gospel of Christ. Jesus loves these kids and gives stern warnings to those who would try to hinder them from coming to Him.
As the kids service came to a close that night and we were getting back on the busses to bring the children home, many of our church families were arriving for the adult Bible study and prayer meeting. I could not help but wonder what some of them were thinking. Were they as excited as the Kid’s Club workers were? I don’t know. I am sure that some were happy to see what God was doing, but I am also concerned that some may have not looked at it the same way. Some may not have been happy to see all of the “snotty nosed bus kids” on property. After all, they don’t act right, and most of them do not dress right. I had to tell one teenager to pull up his “droopy drawers” a couple of times. Take it easy on him though. He was brand new, just started coming. it will take some time for him to “get it.”
It is amazing that two people, both Christians, can look at the very same thing and yet see something totally different. But what do you see? Do you see the multitudes out there in the world as your enemy, or an opportunity for you to demonstrate and distribute the love of Jesus Christ? And, while I’m at it, why aren’t you helping us reach and serve these kids? They need somebody to mentor and love them.
Posted in Thoughts from Matthew by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Quit Worrying!
Today’s Passage – Matthew 5 – 6 (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 – Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Read the “1006 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:34)
Beginning in Matthew five and continuing through chapter seven, the Lord’s famous Sermon on the Mount is recorded. These verses teach us the rules for the Kingdom, the one-thousand year reign of King Jesus Christ on earth. These are not verses that deal specifically with the church, nor are they principles that teach salvation. These passages do show us how a Spirit-filled people will live during the Millennial Kingdom. Having said that, I think these verses should also describe how Spirit-filled Christians should live today. These principles go way beyond the bare minimum of Christian living and they surpass the minimum requirements of the Old Testament Law. God’s people should be second milers. They should be a people who are willing to go beyond just the what the law mandated in their relationships with God and men.
The last section in chapter 6 deals with worrying. Many of us struggle with anxiety and worry over things that we have little control over. We stress over what might or might not happen tomorrow. God says that we should be able to trust him with tomorrow and content ourselves with serving Him today. God gave us provision and protection today and He is well able to do the same tomorrow. I am not a doctor, but I am confident that worry and stress are contributing factors in many health problems. We do not have to live that way. Worry is often nothing more than a lack of faith. If our faith is strong, we know that our God will take care of us and guide our path, so we do not have to stress over life. The reason we worry and stress is because we have taken our lives into our own hands and we realize that we are not able to control all of the situations that will come our way. We know that we will not always make the right decisions. However if we put our lives and our families in the hand of God, we can be assured that God will always do right by us and He will take care of us.
These verses are not teaching, however, that we should not carefully prepare for our tomorrows. It is not wrong to make good decisions under His guidance regarding future planning. If you think about it, salvation itself is a decision that ensures a safe future. I realize that salvation entails much more than “fire insurance,” but many of us were saved because we were concerned about a future judgment. So it is not wrong to spend some time today considering tomorrow. However, when we get to the point where we are so anxious about tomorrow that we cannot serve Him effectively today, we have taken planning well beyond a healthy limit. It is certainly not wrong to put some money away for a rainy day or retirement, but if we get so consumed with hoarding our income today to the extent that we stop giving back to the Lord and we are stingy with others, we have gone beyond mere planning.
The bottom line is that if we can trust God with our eternal destiny, cannot we trust Him with all of the little details that comprise living for Him in this world today. God took care of us yesterday, He is feeding us today, and He will continue to do so tomorrow. We can trust Him. Stop worrying.
Posted in Thoughts from Matthew by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
It Is Written
Today’s Passage –Matthew 1 – 4 (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 – Psalms 21 – 25; Proverbs 5)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 51:11
“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” – (Matthew 4:4)
“Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” – (Matthew 4:7)
“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” – (Matthew 4:10)
In our reading passage today in chapter 4, we have the account of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. The devil made three attempts here to get Jesus to yield to his will, but Jesus stood strong through all that the devil threw at him. Jesus proved that He is Who He claimed to be by resisting the devil. Theologians have argued through the years about whether this was a genuine temptation. In other words, they say that since Jesus is God He cannot be tempted. I guess that is true, but it didn’t stop Satan from making the attempt. I once heard an analogy that illustrates this point pretty well: it is possible for a rowboat to attack a naval fleet; the attack would be real, but the probability of success is not very great. Satan’s attempt to seduce Jesus was real, but because Jesus is the omnipotent God, Satan could not possibly win. Consider what God said through the writer to the Hebrews:
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” – (Hebrews 4:15)
The thing that I find very interesting about this account is that Jesus quoted from the Word of God each time that He was tempted by the devil. Now I hasten to say that everything that came from the mouth of Jesus was the Word of God, because He is God. However, in our passage, Jesus quotes from something He previously said in the Old Testament: something that was already recorded in the Scripture. I believe the main reason that Jesus did this was because He was giving us the formula; the secret to resisting temptation, which is memorizing and quoting Scripture. Consider these verses:
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also makea way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” – (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Notice the phrase, “a way to escape”. God’s way to escape is quoting Scripture. And you cannot quote Scripture unless you have it in your heart:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” – (Psalm 119:11)
This is why it is absolutely critical for us to be in the Word of God all of the time. We need to saturate our minds with the Scripture through our daily reading, writing, studying, meditation, and memorization of the Bible. We are now even learning how to sing the Scripture (see Scripture Memory Songs), which also helps us to keep God’s Word in our heart and mind.
The sad truth, however, is that most believers do not know enough Scripture to resist the devil’s tempation. What a shame. There is no excuse for it. I believe that this is one of the greatest needs for the people of our church today. We need to strengthened and fortified by the Word of God so that when the flesh, the world, or the devil try to get us to yield, we can stay inside the perfect will of God.
One final thought. You will notice from this passage that Satan also said, “It is written”, but it is important to note that while Satan “quoted” the Scripture, he conveniently left out part of the O.T. verse. He is still using that same method today by re-writing the Word of God in all of these modern versions. He changes words, and leaves out words as it suits his purposes. Stick with the old King James!
Posted in Thoughts from Matthew by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
What A Day That Will Be
Today’s Passage – Zechariah 10 – 14 (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 – Psalms 11 – 15; Proverbs 3)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4
Read the “1003 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from Zechariah 14 – “Touchdown!”
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” – (Zechariah 12:10)
“In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” – (Zechariah 13:1)
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” – (Romans 11:25-26)
The Bible makes it very clear in the Book of Romans that Israel, as a nation, is right now blind to the Truth of the gospel. They just can’t see that Jesus was and is their Messiah. This does not mean that there will not be individual Jews that will trust Christ as Saviour, but as a whole they have been blinded because they rejected Christ when He first came to them:
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” – (John 1:11)
There is coming a day, however, when the blindness of Israel will be taken away, and they will be able to recognize “me whom they have pieced”. The verse goes on to say that they will mourn, “as one mourneth for his only son”. In chapter Zechariah 13:1, the Scripture goes on to say, “in that day there shall be a fountain opened … for sin and for uncleanness”. The day referred to in this verse is the same day that Israel looks upon and mourns for the One whom they pierced. Cleansing for sin only comes after we recognize our sin, and our rejection of the Saviour.
This is the exact same process that God uses to cleanse us from our sins today. God opens our eyes so that we can see the one whom we have pierced, because it is our sin that put Him on that cross. When we see our sinful condition, and realize that Jesus took all of that sin upon Him on the cross, our eyes begin to open; and when our eyes open, so does that fountain of cleansing that removes the stain of our sin from us. What an awesome God we serve!
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Posted in Thoughts from Zechariah by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.
We Will Go With You
Today’s Passage – Zechariah 6 – 9 (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 – Psalms 6 – 10; Proverbs 2)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 25
Read the “1002 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:21-23)
Throughout the Book of Zechariah, God tells us what life will be like during the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth. This will certainly be a wonderful time for people to live on the earth. The Bible tells us, “…the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof“ (Zechariah 8:5). It goes on to say, “And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness“ (Zechariah 8:8). God will be “running the show” here on the earth, and the people will be thrilled to have him ruling in righteousness.
In vs. 21 – 23 of chapter eight, there is a phrase that grabbed my attention: “ten men…shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.“ The people of the surrounding nations will be so impressed with the relationship that the Jews have with their God that they will ask to join them as they go to the House of God. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the people that we know today could look into our lives and clearly see the blessings which result from the relationship that we have with our Lord, and say to us, “I want to go with you to church, because I can see the Lord is with you, and He has made a wonderful difference in your life?” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God’s people today exuded the love, joy, and peace that comes from a life filled with the Spirit of God? Maybe the reason that we are not attracting too many people to desire a relationship with the Lord is because they cannot see the difference that the Lord has made.
By the way, I am not saying that all we need to do is live before our neighbors. We still need to speak the truth to the people around us. Notice v. 16
“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:” (Zechariah 8:16)
The truth is that people need to hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ from our mouths, but they also need to see the love, joy, and peace that come from the relationship that we have with Him.
Posted in Thoughts from Zechariah by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Apple of His Eye
Today’s Passage – Zechariah 1 – 5 (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 – Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19
Read the “1001 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” – (Zechariah 2:8)
Background Information on Zechariah
Zechariah was the son of Berechiah, and the grandson of Iddo. His name means, “whom Jehovah remembers”. In fact, there is an interesting note regarding the names of his father and grandfather. Berechiah means “Jehovah will bless”; and Iddo means “the appointed time”. Putting the three names from v. 1 together we get Jehovah has not forgotten, and He will bless, in the appointed time.
He was much younger than Haggai (2:4) but wrote at least the first eight chapters of the Book at the same time of Haggai’s ministry. (1:1, 7; 7:1) Zechariah is very prophetic and visionary whereas Haggai was more historical and extremely practical, which makes them a great team for ministering to God’s people. Ezra refers to both Haggai and Zechariah as encouraging the people of God in the rebuilding of the temple:
“Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.” (Ezra 5:1)
“And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.” (Ezra 6:14)
Zechariah is apocalyptic in nature, like Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation. It has an historic interlude in the middle (chapters 7 – 8), which makes it like Isaiah. This is the longest of all the Minor Prophets and is thought by many to be the most difficult to grasp. Zechariah writes more about Christ than any of the other Minor Prophets. Only Isaiah has more Messianic prophecies than Zechariah.
Prophecies concerning His first coming include Zechariah 3:8; 9:9, 16; 11:11–13; 12:10; 13:1, 6; and prophecies to be fulfilled at His second coming include 6:12; 14:1–21.[1]
The Purpose of the Book is Fourfold:
- To bring about spiritual revival. Haggai was more concerned with the outward work of re-building the temple, but Zechariah goes straight to the heart.
- To inspire and encourage the re-building of the temple.
- To comfort and console a people that had been severely chastised by God.
- To prophesy of the coming Messiah.
The Book is broken up into three main sections:
- Ten Visions (Chapters 1 – 6)
- Four Messages (Chapters 7 – 8)
- Two Burdens (Chapters 9 – 14)
Thought for Today
In Zechariah 2, God is reminding us that He will someday make Jerusalem and all of Israel the very center of His eartly Kingdom. When Christ returns, He will reign on earth for 1000 years and “will dwell in the midst of [Jerusalem]” (v 11). In the middle of this passage God refers to the nations that have attacked Israel through the years, and describes His anger toward them. He says that they have “touched the apple of his eye.” The word, “apple,” is literally talking about the pupil of the eye. God is saying that his focus or attention is on His children, the people of Israel. We still use this phrase today to describe people who we love dearly. God was making it clear that he loved Israel and His people that live there.
As a New Testament Christian, I know that God also loves me dearly. There is nothing about me that is loveable, yet because of the relationship that I have with Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, He loves me anyway. I am His child and He is my Father. I am not always an obedient child, and I don’t always love Him as I should, but I am still the apple of His eye. Amazing. I understand a little how He feels because I have children of my own. They are not always obedient either but I cannot stop loving them. Think about the way a mother watches over her children. She might be busy doing something, or in the middle of a conversation with somebody, but she is always looking out to see what her children are doing, making sure they are safe.
Another application that we can take away from this passage is that since God loves Israel, we ought also to love Israel; and since God loves other Christians, so should we. I may be the apple of His eye but I am not the only apple He has His eye on.
[1] Ryrie, C. C. (1994). Ryrie study Bible: King James Version (Expanded ed., p. 1363). Chicago: Moody Press.
Posted in Thoughts from Zechariah by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
A Bag With Holes
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.
“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. …Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.” (Haggai 1:6 & 9)
Haggai was writing to the children of Israel that had returned to the land after their time spent in captivity in the land of Babylon, and later Persia. Upon returning, they had done well for a while: they immediately began to re-build the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. However, after some opposition came along (and it always does), they put aside the building of God’s house and began working on their own houses and farms, etc. The problem was that God was not blessing them in their work. In many respects they were spinning their wheels. They were working hard, but God wasn’t helping them, simply because they were no longer putting the Lord first in their lives.
I see a lot of parallels from this passage with Christians today. There has never been a time in the history of America when we are as busy as we are now. Many families have both husband and wife working with some folks working two and three jobs. It is very common to hear people say that they would like to attend all of the church services, but they always have to work. After all, they have to take care of their families, don’t they? Now, I understand that people need to work. Work is good. The Bible says that men need to work in order to eat, but when our work replaces God or seriously interferes with our worship of Him, something is wrong. And I wonder if God isn’t doing to us what he did to those Israelites of old who had misplaced priorities. Do you miss church regularly due to work? I’m not saying it is always wrong, but you have to ask yourself and the Lord if your missing services is OK with Him.
The same could be said about our giving. We would like to give but money is tight. We justify our lack of giving due to the fact that we need to care for our families. But did you ever think that by taking matters into your own hands you are forsaking God and removing His blessing upon your life. God said that their wages were going through a bag filled with holes (v. 6). I have often felt that my money was going into a bag like that as well. Have you stopped giving your tithes and offerings because money is tight? You can expect it to get even tighter.
The problem is that we are often blind to this condition. We don’t see where we have put something above God in our lives. Ask yourself honestly. Have you put something in front of God: your job; your children; your pleasures? What is causing you to miss the full blessing of God in your life. We need to put God back where He belongs in our lives. He deserves and demands first place. After the Israelites repented and started working again on the temple, God said, “I am with you.” I want God to be with me in my life, and He will be as long as put Him in His rightful place. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that God is with you, that His hand of approval and blessing is on every aspect of your life?
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – (Matthew 6:33)
“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” – (Colossians 1:18)
“I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.” – (2 Corinthians 8:8)
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.” – (Malachi 3:10-11)
Posted in Thoughts from Haggai by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
God Is In The Midst Of Thee
Today’s Passage – Zephaniah 1 – 3 (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 17 – 20; Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 29)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “0929 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.” (Zephaniah 3:15)
If I understand this verse correctly, it appears that Zephaniah is looking forward to the Millennial Kingdom of Christ on earth. It would seem that this will be the only time that all of the things mentioned in the context could take place. In the first two chapters Zephaniah wrote of judgment which has already come and is still coming, but the future holds a time for Israel when they will be reconciled completely with God and God will once again be pouring out His blessings upon them, and will remove all of their enemies from the land.
My thought this morning, however, is how this verse, though directly dealing with Israel, applies perfectly to the Christian today. The Christian already has today what He is going to give Israel in the future. First, it says “The LORD hath taken away thy judgments”. How wonderful it is to know that the penalty for sin is gone. I will not be judged for my sin. I used to hear preachers say that when I stand before God, He is going to show a video of every bad thing that I have ever done. Not true. Jesus paid for all of my sins at Calvary and they are all under the blood. My record is clean because of what Jesus did for me at Calvary. My sins are gone! Praise God!!!
Secondly, Zephaniah says “he hath cast out thine enemy”. Now this isn’t true yet; but it soon will be. My enemy is Satan, and though he and his devils are reeking havoc today, he is already defeated. Some day soon, we will see Satan cast into the lake of fire. I am on the winning side and Satan is a loser. Just a thought: why do so many people, including Christians, follow him.
Finally, Zephaniah says “the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee”. I know that this verse is talking about God dwelling in the midst of His people Israel, but I have God dwelling in me right now.
“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” (Colossians 1:27)
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4)
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” (Ephesians 1:13)
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
God is not only with me, He is in me. And if I will allow Him to have His way with my life, I will reveal Him to others around me.
P.S. I have one additional encouragement from Zephaniah 2:
“Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.” – (Zephaniah 2:3)
This verse is a great encouragement to me because it teaches that though there may be judgment by God on the world around us, we may escape it if we are in a right relationship with Him. God has not appointed His children to wrath, and though He may pour out His judgent on this land, He will still protect and provide for His own.
Posted in Thoughts from Zephaniah by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.