Responding to God's Correction

by Lance Ponder⁽⁸⁵⁾
http://fkiprofessor.xanga.com

It Hasn’t Worked So Far Because…
Hag 1:9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. God has already explained what He expects and why. Here God reveals their selfishness to them. The people were concerned with carrying out their own will rather than carrying out God’s will. Judgment has come because they were centered in themselves rather than centering their faith in God.

God Responses
Hag 1:10-11 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.” The problem has been exposed, the accusation has been made and judgment is at hand. The people have survived, but not thrived. The situation could get considerably worse. Faced with God’s wrath, the people have a choice to make.

People Respond
Hag 1:12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. We cannot tell God what to do, but we do decide how to respond when we face justice. We can accept the truth or we can lie to ourselves. If we accept the truth we will respect justice and will work to make amends as best we can. If we deny the truth we deceive ourselves and reject authority along with truth. The former leads to mental and spiritual freedom if not civil freedom. Lies keep us in bondage and eat away at our conscience. No amount of civil freedom sets the soul free.

God Responds
Hag 1:13-15 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. This passage reveals more than truth. It reveals mercy. Instead of pouring wrath on the God’s wayward people, the Holy Spirit moved in the hearts of the people stirring them repent and obey. A quick glance at the calendar reveals the date they came together to restart construction was barely more than three weeks after the initial prophecy. The movement included everyone from the leaders to the least of the people. Finishing up their harvest and gathering a full week before the start of the fall feasts further indicates a strong shared sense of urgency. It was Elul, the month of repentance. This step of obedience was also one of repentance.

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Do you bicker with God? Where does it get you? Do you receive God's correction with thanksgiving?

Article submitted Friday, December 09, 2011 & read 14 times.

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