“Consider Your Ways!”
The theme of Haggai is “consider your ways.” By this time in Israel’s history, they have returned to Jerusalem from their 70 year captivity. They were permitted to go back under Zerubbabel and Joshua’s leadership and rebuild the temple. But sadly, the work was great and difficult, and they lost their focus. Instead, they stopped the rebuilding of the Temple and built for themselves nice houses. They even went so far as to say, “The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built.” The Lord had worked in King Cyrus’s heart to send the captives back to Israel, and he continued to work in the following various kings to continue the work. But the people disobeyed and stopped the work, instead working on their own houses They said, it’s not time to do God’s work. Is there ever a time to not do God’s work? Do we know better than God? Is our timing or God’s timing best? God then needed to send the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, as well as Ezra and Nehemiah, to get Israel back on the right track. He used Haggai to say, “Consider your ways!” In fact, God was trying to get Israel’s attention. In chapter 1 verses 6-7 God said, “You 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 ye are not warm; and he that earneth wages to put into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.” They were not satisfied with their life and provisions. Why? Because they left off doing God’s will and sought to do their own.
How about you? The start of a new year is always a great time to pause and “Consider your ways.” Are you satisfied with your life? Are you satisfied with your spiritual life? Does your bag have a hole in it? Are you cold? Are you tired? Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Does it seem you can’t get ahead spiritually? Have you stopped to consider your ways?
It is a good time to make some spiritual resolutions that will truly benefit your life. Did you spend enough time in God’s Word in 2021? You can increase that in 2022. Did you spend enough time in prayer in 2021? You can increase that in 2022. Did you spend enough time in church in 2021? You can increase that in 2022. Did you spend enough time spreading the Gospel in 2021? You can increase that in 2022. Did you spend enough time ministering to your brethren in 2021? You can increase that in 2022. I think you get the picture. We can all do better. Our Heavenly Father deserves our best. Are we busy building our own houses and neglecting God’s? I think it would be a great day to pause and “Consider your ways,” and then prayerfully make the changes you know you need to make for the new year.
Pastor Dan Boyce
January 1, 2022
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