“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 1:6,7).
TEXT — Haggai 1:1-7
In his book Being the Best Denis Waitley, American motivational speaker and writer, has some interesting observations about procrastination. “When you stop to think about it,” he says, “there is no such thing as a future decision. You face only present decisions that will affect what will happen in the future. Procrastinators wait for just the right moment to decide. If you wait for the perfect moment, you become a security seeker who is running in place, going through the motions, and getting deeper in a rut. Procrastination is the thief of time.”
The returning Jews from exile came primarily to rebuild the house of God. But they lacked the communal will to translate their desire into determined action. And Haggai was sent to alert them of the danger of foot-dragging in such an important task to promote God’s kingdom. Although the returnees enthusiastically started the reconstruction work, political and religious opposition halted them. Later, when the opportunity to continue the work arose, they were more concerned about their interests. The result was their forfeiture of God’s blessings, plus persistent fruitless labour.
God frowns at men’s actions that prioritise personal conveniences above His commandments. You deny yourself the full benefit of God’s provision whenever you expend your resources on yourself, neglecting His work. For example, Christians who delay having quality time alone with the Lord to fend for their belly do themselves great spiritual harm. Those who borrow what ought to be given to God, to build their own businesses, promising to pay God back later, dishonour God. You actually gain nothing when you bargain with God.
God deserves our best. The best of our time and treasures should always be offered to the Lord. “And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? Saith the LORD of hosts.” Let us consider our ways and give the ultimate Giver the best of our lives.
Thought for the day
He gives the best to God, who first gives his heart to Him.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
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