19/09/2013 - THE PRIORITY IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD

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Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.

Haggai 1:10

The Lord sent the prophet Haggai to deliver a harsh message to the governor of Judah – Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel – and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, concerning the building of His house, which was altogether put aside by the Jews. It was time to rebuild but they only cared about their own houses. So when the LORD saw the greedy spirit of His people He made revelations that can certainly be lessons for us today.

The Jews were supposed go up to the mountains, bring wood and build God’s house. If they did so, the Lord would take pleasure in it and be glorified (Haggai 1:8) and as a result, prosperity would be poured over them. Today, many live in deception because what they want is prosperity, while the Gospel – the abode of the Almighty – remains far from their heart. It is necessary to make people understand the divine plan, leading them to be fellow workers in the Lord.

They sowed in the appropriate season and in fertile land; however because they did not tend to the divine work, they reaped sparingly. The punishment went beyond: when they brought home what little they could, the Lord blew it away (verse 9). This happens with many lives: those who live selfishly, without devoting time to God’s house, receive the same treatment by the Lord.

God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7). Those who sow according to the divine inspiration achieve good and lasting results. However, those who are wise in their own eyes and bad in the eyes of the Lord will realize that the harvest is always meager and temporary. The Most High will not let His children put Him to shame because the most important thing should always be the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Put God’s work in your heart as a priority and you will see that all other things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).

The Almighty gives His people what they need to be successful and to fulfill their dreams, but only when they do the Lord’s work first. The prophet acted quite boldly when he told the truth to the governor and the high priest. After that they would no longer have excuses for their actions. However, those greedy men did not bother about the divine revelations, so the skies were ordered to withhold the dew and the earth to withhold its fruit.

Always allow the Holy Spirit to open your mind, and the Gospel to produce more fruit in your favor. The best thing is to have the Lord pleased with your actions, because then you will have His help. He who fulfills the commandment proves that he loves God. It is time to evaluate the attention you give to the Gospel. What have you done on behalf of the Lord’s work? What crosses your mind when you tithe? Do you tithe with joy or just because it is a commandment? Do you finance evangelism? Bear in mind that the best thing is to have the Lord as a partner.

In Christ with Love,

R. R. Soares