By Angel Edwards
Mediocrity plagues this
world. The worst part is that we are
blind to it. We feel as though we were meant to live here day to day doing what
society demands of us. Actually, the opposite is true. Christianity was NEVER
meant to be ordinary. What’s a normal Christian anyway? Trick question….there
is no such thing, at least, there shouldn't be. To be a “normal” Christian is to have “accepted”
Christ into your life. The difference between ordinary Christianity and radical
Christianity is that Christ becomes an all- consuming fire placed in the center
of your life. Nothing is done without
Him.
Haggai was a prophet
who carried this specific message of God’s to the Israelites. Prior to the book
of Haggai the Jewish people were taken into exile by the Babylonians. Haggai
opens with their returning back to Jerusalem after many years of captivity.
Once they had returned home they began to rebuild the temple since it had been destroyed
by the Babylonian king . Even though Israel had started the rebuilding process
they soon gave up. The Lord saw this and
spoke to Haggai:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” - Haggai 1: 3-6
God’s children
neglected Him. They desired only to satisfy themselves. They would eat, drink,
and clothe themselves continually but it was never enough for them to be
content. In order to fill themselves they tried to accommodate more things. They
stopped looking at God as the provider and relied on their own devices. They
attempted to fill the void in their hearts by themselves. They lived in
“paneled houses” while the Lord’s house laid “in ruins”. The people were living
to their fullest while God’s glorious temple was desecrated at the center of
the community grounds.
God saw the heart
posture of His people. He desired for them to see that He was the satisfaction
they needed. They were blind to the truth. The best part is that this truth
still stands today. God hasn’t changed and neither has His heart for us nor His
desire to fill us.
It sometimes seems
easier to pursue the things of the world. These people would say, “…the time has not yet come to rebuild the
house of the Lord (1:2).” To
build a temple consists of hard work. It’s
hard to lay down your own life for Him. It’s hard to live set-apart from
everyone else around you. While we start
to follow Him, while we start to do His will, while we start to rebuild the
broken temple, sometimes we lose motivation and walk away. We begin to set our
priorities above Christ.
“Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?” – Haggai 2:3
The people once knew
the former glory of the temple where Gods’ presence resided. They walked away
from the Lord’s work and became numb and disconnected from it. This is a direct
correlation to us as the temple. We believe that if we try hard enough we can
provide our own way. We can’t. You are
the temple. He longs to make His temple- YOU- glorious in order to be glorified.
Although we as frail humans can fall so easily God is so much greater. When He promised them He promises us now:
“The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’.- Haggai 2:9
God is saying that it
is not too late to come to Him. If you decide to perform for God or do your own
thing, know that without a heart turned to God nothing will ever produce from
the work of your own hands. This is what Haggai communicated to the Jews.
“So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean”. – Haggai 2:14
All of this brings me
to my next point. Perhaps your reading this and thinking, “My heart is numb to
Him. Why should I care to center my life on Him?” Although you may think you
are alone God knows what you’re going through and what you’ve been through. He
has never left you. He has so many mysteries He longs to share with you. He
wants you to search for Him. Within the past year I have heard people say that
they spend time with God when He calls them to. I don’t believe this is how
it’s supposed to work. God wants to be everything to us because this is His
love for us. We are to spend time with Him even when we don’t desire to. God
sees our hearts and our faithfulness to Him. “The one who spends time with God
knows God.”- Mike Bickle, Founder of IHOP
I challenge you to ask God to reveal who He
is. Ask Him for understanding. Ask Him for revelation. Ask for your heart to be
on fire for Him. Ask Him to help you love Him. Do not be afraid to ask love for
love. This is why He created you. Meditate on the scriptures below. Each of
them are about seeking, questioning, and pursuing God. I guarantee the Lord will
speak many powerful things to you through them.
Psalm 27:7-9“Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;be gracious to me and answer me!8 You have said, “Seek my face.”My heart says to you,“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”9 Hide not your face from me.Turn not your servant away in anger,O you who have been my help.Cast me not off; forsake me not,O God of my salvation!
…..
Psalm 34: 4-5
I sought
the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
…..
Matthew 7:7-11
“Ask, and
it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be
opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives,
and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or
which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a
stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a
serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father
who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
………………………………….
Check
out this awesome video about devotion to Him!
You
are A CHOSEN GENERATION: Set-Apart for His Glory.
Also available from Angel Edwards
Also Available from 10:31 Life Ministries
College Commitment: Those Puzzled Athenians-and Us! By Rev. David Faulkner
Confessions of a College Freshmen: On Buying Groceries... By Amy Faulkner
To Contact or support 10:31 Life Ministries email us at: hi1031.ministries@yahoo.com
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