“For the word of God is alive, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12 MEV)
As I sat down to write this morning, I seemed to hear a heavenly directive, “Move out of the way! I got this!” My first response was kind of like Moses’ response when he kept giving excuses to God, trying to keep from meeting God’s expectations to go and deliver His people for Egyptian bondage. I thought, “If I don’t write in my usual format, my readers will think I’m being lazy.” And just as God eliminated Moses’ excuses, He exercised the same tactic with me and repeated His words, “Move out of the way! I got this!” So it is apparent that God wants a little talk with you personally this morning. Thus, being a faithful messenger, I will move out of the way and pray you will hear what He has to say and how it applies to you.
“How is it that it’s the ‘right time’ for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, God’s Temple, is in ruins?” And then a little later, God-of-the-Angel-Armies spoke out again: “Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over. You have spent a lot of money, but you haven’t much to show for it. You keep filling your plates, but you never get filled up. You keep drinking and drinking and drinking, but you’re always thirsty. You put on layer after layer of clothes, but you can’t get warm. And the people who work for you, what are they getting out of it? Not much—a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that’s what. That’s why God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: “Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over.” Then God said: “Here’s what I want you to do: Climb into the hills and cut some timber. Bring it down and rebuild the Temple. Do it just for me. Honor me. You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves, but nothing has come of it. The little you have brought to my Temple I’ve blown away—there was nothing to it. “And why?” (This is a Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, remember.) “Because while you’ve run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins. That’s why. Because of your stinginess. And so I’ve given you a dry summer and a skimpy crop. I’ve matched your tight-fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit. Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive (Haggai 1:4-11 MSG).”
Well, don’t get mad at me! God wanted a little talk with YOU. I’m curious. What was He saying to YOU? Were YOU listening? I got my message. Did YOU? Well, meditate on what He had to say to YOU and have a great Tuesday. Be blessed!
“If you have ears, pay attention!” (Matthew 11:15 CEV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King