The people who had returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity in Babylon had high hopes of an amazing new life. The problem was that their expectations were based on the world they had come out of, not the promised land they had entered into. In Babylon, everyone’s goal was to experience a good life. But in the Promised Land their goal was supposed to be experiencing a God-centered life.
God’s people forgot that they were to be pursuing a God’s purpose for their lives. So they patterned their lives off the culture they knew instead of the God they were to get to know. As a result, their efforts produced neither the Babylonian good life nor a Biblical God-centered life.
Look at what God said to them… “Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! (Haggai 1:5-7).
Dissatisfaction in life should always lead us to some honest self-evaluation.
But self-examination is difficult to do. We are busy people surrounded by busy people. We tend to move through life in such a distracted way that we never take the time and stop and question if any of the things we do are even worth doing. As a result, we simply go along with the many “shoulds” and “oughts” that have been handed on to us as if they were divine directives.
Work projects have to be completed, emails & texts have to be answered, the kids have to get to practice/lessons/classes, and above all everyone must be happy. In the work-life balancing act, there just doesn’t seem to be any time for some honest self-evaluation.
The call to consider our ways is not meant to produce guilt or condemnation but to bring about transformation and restoration. It is an invitation to surrender our will and desires to God, allowing Him to guide our steps and shape our lives according to His divine purpose.
When we consider our ways, we pause and ask ourselves crucial questions. Are our thoughts and actions pleasing to God? Are we living in accordance with His Word? Are we investing our time, talents, and resources wisely, with eternity in view? Such self-examination always reveals areas in our lives that need adjustment and realignment with God's will.
Take a moment to day to stop and ask God, “What aspects of my life have I adopted from the busyness culture and not from You?”
God’s people forgot that they were to be pursuing a God’s purpose for their lives. So they patterned their lives off the culture they knew instead of the God they were to get to know. As a result, their efforts produced neither the Babylonian good life nor a Biblical God-centered life.
Look at what God said to them… “Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! (Haggai 1:5-7).
Dissatisfaction in life should always lead us to some honest self-evaluation.
But self-examination is difficult to do. We are busy people surrounded by busy people. We tend to move through life in such a distracted way that we never take the time and stop and question if any of the things we do are even worth doing. As a result, we simply go along with the many “shoulds” and “oughts” that have been handed on to us as if they were divine directives.
Work projects have to be completed, emails & texts have to be answered, the kids have to get to practice/lessons/classes, and above all everyone must be happy. In the work-life balancing act, there just doesn’t seem to be any time for some honest self-evaluation.
The call to consider our ways is not meant to produce guilt or condemnation but to bring about transformation and restoration. It is an invitation to surrender our will and desires to God, allowing Him to guide our steps and shape our lives according to His divine purpose.
When we consider our ways, we pause and ask ourselves crucial questions. Are our thoughts and actions pleasing to God? Are we living in accordance with His Word? Are we investing our time, talents, and resources wisely, with eternity in view? Such self-examination always reveals areas in our lives that need adjustment and realignment with God's will.
Take a moment to day to stop and ask God, “What aspects of my life have I adopted from the busyness culture and not from You?”
Posted in devo