Weekly Devotion Consider Your Ways “Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled {sic} houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.” Haggai 1.3-7 We live in a most unusual age. It is an age in which people find themselves having to be constantly entertained. Very few seem to enjoy the quiet of being alone in a solitary place. Over the years I have seen changes in several venues - especially at sports events. While the National Federation rules prohibit music and other “noises” when a ball is live, there are opportunities for a quick-handed sound technician to blast a two-second burst of some song between pitches at softball games or fill a timeout during a basketball game. While awaiting the opening tipoff at a basketball game a few years ago, I was monitoring the players during their warmup drills and noticed one with some green “thingies” stuck in his ears. Upon further investigation, I detected that he had a music device and was listening to his tunes while warming up. The days of the boom box are behind us and the days of the ultra-mini sound machines have arrived. Multitasking is now applied to what once was considered a cell phone. That which was a few years ago considered a luxury and could make and receive calls is now a hand held world of connectivity with more power and potential than the machines responsible for landing men on the moon and sending rovers to Mars. What Isaac Asimov, Jules Verne and Gene Roddenberry dreamed of we take for granted. With all the modern devices, it would seem everyone would be happy; however, the truth is that no matter how much the world offers the average person wants more. The cell phone with web access is, today, a necessity. We can only wonder how the first 6,000 years of humanity made it without handheld gaming equipment. Having a cell phone is no longer a luxury - it is a must. Having the ability to get on line from anywhere at any time is no longer a luxury - it is a must. Having personal entertainment equipment small enough to carry around and pull out at any boring moment is no longer a luxury - it is a must. Somewhere there must be a satisfaction point - a place or attitude in which a person becomes satisfied with who they are and what they have. Standing in contrast to what one would think, those who have very little are much more satisfied with what they have than those who have many things. Many Christians have become like the little, spoiled kid who, after opening all of his Christmas presents, asked, “Is that all?” Much of today’s luxuries become, within a few years, fodder for yard sales. Remember, no one makes money selling things at yard sales - they simply make back pennies on the dollar from high priced gadgets they no longer use. The people of Haggai’s day became so self-absorbed that they put aside building God’s house. They were more intent on their toys and savings accounts - more intent on their luxurious homes and position in the community - more intent on having the next pleasure and making more money. Haggai’s warning was that their efforts only provided a place to lose wealth. They were putting their money in bags with holes - spending with nothing to show for their efforts. The problem during Haggai’s day is common to our time. Oh, they were not wasting money on electronic gadgets, but they were spending their wealth and energies on things that would not last. I would venture to say that there is not a single home from that era still standing and in use today. Within a hundred years from now, all of the things of this earth that we hold dear will mean absolutely nothing to us. Haggai’s admonition was that these people should invest in things with eternity in view. They should not become overly infatuated with worldly trends - after all, they are worldly and will not last. Both our Lord and Haggai encouraged the listeners to “Consider your ways.” Before you get that next upgrade or purchase your next smart gadget, think about how long it will last and what you can use it for to gain eternal benefits.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 01:15:45 +0000
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