BYM ONLINE DESK August 2018 English Blessing E-magazine | Page 10

AUGUST 2018
trees, bring the timber and build the temple. They
would now know the difficult, hard labour involved
in building the temple. This message is not only for
them, but for us, too. After slogging the whole week,
how difficult it is for us to go to church on Sunday!
After a whole day of work, family prayer in the
evening is as challenging as going up the mountain
to cut down the trees. It is difficult to seek His
friendship. But God says that this is His desire for us
(v8). Moreover, He says that He will be honoured by
this. It is difficult to dig into a rock to lay the
foundation (Mt 7:24). What was the purpose of the
temple? That He would be glorified.
When things seem improbable to our human
understanding and beyond the realm of possibility,
that's when our desires are fully, perfectly fulfilled
by the glory of God.
God was calling out to the people of Judea to
build the temple and experience His glory. He is still
calling out to us in order to demonstrate His glory,
but we do not have the time to commune with Him.
Comfort without communion is impossible.
This is the message the Lord proclaimed to the
people of Judea through His prophet, Haggai. His
message was not only for them, but is also relevant
today for those of us who don't understand this truth.
Our Lord's glory is revealed in the lives of all who
understand this. Have you lost hope? Our
trustworthy God calls you to have fellowship with
Him, so that He may display His glory in you.
Anyone who returns to a relationship with Him
enjoys true contentment irrespective of the
circumstances around him. Will you come?
God's Blessings
The Judeans, who had forsaken their
relationship with God, and lost out on a happy life,
now understood the truth. Having understood, they
responded with immediate action, which is truly
commendable.
Notice Haggai 1:12, “Then Zerubbabael son
of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high
priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed
the voice of the Lord their God and the message of
the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had
sent him.” They realised that these were not the
words of the prophet, but the voice of God. They
gave ear to the prophet who verbalized the voice of
God. As they accepted the word of God, the fear of
God also entered their lives.
Even today, when God interacts with us, when
we hear His voice clearly, the fear of God engulfs us.
How do we handle this experience? Do we
vehemently justify ourselves? Here, we see
everyone, beginning from the head of the state,
repenting and turning towards God! The apostle
James likens the Word of God to a mirror (Jas 1:23).
When a person stands before a mirror, it reveals to
him exactly what he looks like. But it cannot correct
his image. It can reveal the messy state of the hair,
the oily face or a carelessly buttoned shirt. But the
responsibility to correct it is ours. Whether listening
to the Word of God being expounded or meditating
on it, the Word, as a mirror correctly reveals our
personality and our nature. Just as our hands would
quickly correct the flaws revealed by the mirror, we
need to act here too. Yes, the Judeans proved to be
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