Consider Your Ways

Our hope and prayer is that your way has been bright and blessed.  But, if it has been darkened and detoured by sin there is a remedy.  Let’s talk about that…

The Old Testament prophet Haggai was given a message from the Lord for a remnant of the children of Israel(Ezra 4).  They had faced some harsh words and treatment from a group of their adversaries that caused them to cease their labor in rebuilding the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.  In fact, to the tune of fourteen years they laid down their tools and abandoned the task that the Lord had commanded, financed, and provided for.  It seems that that was quite long enough for the Lord. He sent a message to His children(Ezra 5).

The message to the Remnant Rebuilders was found in verse 5 and 7 of chapter 1 of Haggai.  “Consider your ways.” He put their words back to them, “The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built,” while they were enjoying ease in their own finely fitted homes.  I believe they fell into a trap that many church folks trip into today.  They mistake resistance for God closing a door.  A lack of discernment, a lack of diligence, a lack of determination detoured the direction the Lord had given.

Basically, the Lord let them know that the failure of all their efforts since they stopped working had been his hand of chastisement in an attempt to turn them to Him.  He brought a message of conviction, “Consider Your Ways.”  (v8) Consider the Previous Communication. Obedience to God’s instruction brings lasting joy, fulfillment, satisfaction and provision. (v9) Consider the Consequences.  Your Plans don’t Produce, Your Ideas are left Incomplete, your Wants are left Wanting, you Want a Lot and are Left with Little.  The battle was now not with an adversary but with self.  (v 10-11) Consider His Chastisement.  He ordered the judgment of things being taken away with sweeping effects.  (v12-15) Consider Re-Commitment.  Their response was OBEDIENCE!  Their reminder was that The Lord was with them. This allowed the stirring of their spirit and gave them Revival.  They Re-Dedicated, Re-Committed and went back to work.

Have you been there? I have. It is easier to pass off a lack of commitment to the Lord with the idea of beginning ‘a new season’ of life.  The reality might just be that we need to get back on our knees and pray for the fortitude to fight through the battles of life and finish what God told us to start.

On this Sunday morning, Consider Your Ways.

We Love You!

BroAdamB

evangelistadamborden.com