“Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1:5 King James Version)
I know you are about ready to head for church, but can I get your attention for just a couple of minutes?
When I was leaving church Friday morning, I got a cup of water from the new water dispenser we recently installed at church; no more water fountain. The water was clear, cool, and I could not wait to consume it once I got into my car. I placed the open cup in one of the car cupholders. I take my phone out of my pocket and I am about ready to place it in patiently waiting upholder, as I usually do. I did not think about it, but something caused me to abruptly stop and actually look at what I was doing as opposed to just placing my phone in the cupholder spot. If I had not looked, the phone would probably have been damaged to the point that I would have had to replace it. If I had not looked, it would have been a costly act.
Look, we have been conditioned to stop and look in normal, everyday life situations, especially as we get older. It started when we were young as we were taught to stop and look before crossing the street. But now, in our older years, whatever that means to you, we look at the steps first, whether ascending or descending. And then we contemplate how we are going to proceed. We look for objects in the yard before running the lawnmower over them and causing great damage and a delay in completing our work. We look outside before we even leave the house to make sure we are not overdressed or underdressed. If necessary, we make modifications to how we have clothed ourselves. We look to make sure the light on the stove has gone off, the one that indicates that the stive surface is no longer hot and thus it is safe to touch without risk of a minor injury. We look carefully around us before we get out of the car in a parking lot. We have too, because we don’t know who is looking, lurking, or possibly ready to leap on us and leave us penniless and in pain. Before we step out of the shower, we make sure that there is no slippery hazard or objects that might cause us to fall, especially if we do not have that device that allows us to say, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!’. We look before we act in many instances. In other words, we consider our ways.
Now, while Haggai is addressing God’s people in the context of the text above, regarding how His people have given a low priority to the care of His house and to the support of His house, we can apply what he shares with us, that which falls under the umbrella of “Thus saith the Lord,” referencing to considering our ways in all areas of our life. Before we get into something, we better look first. Before we act, we had better look at our actions through our spiritual eyes first. Before we step out of the house to venture to something I will call “an adventure,” we better look first and consider our ways. The cost of not doing so, well, it will be costly, more so than what it would have cost me to replace my phone as described above.
On more thing to generate some thoughts that will benefit you, and I am done. Look at your schedule for today. Does it include being at church, encouraging others as well we should, sharing your time, talent, and treasures? Look again! Consider your ways! Enjoy the day! Be blessed!
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.” (Haggai 1:7 King James Version)
Mark L. King