Daily Devotion August 8

August 8: Haggai 1:12-15

KJV Key Verse: Haggai 1:13
13 Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying , I am with you, saith the LORD.

Devotion:
As with many other prophets Haggai had to deliver the word from God directly to the people; they had to be told they were living a life which was not giving God the glory but rather focusing it on themselves. We can see so many people throughout our Christian history who give in to the ways of the world and lift up their own ways and their own profits instead of lifting up the prophets of old who gave out the real word of God.

As Christians we need to step forward and make sure God is being given the glory by making sure people get to hear what He has to say and not the interpretation we think the world need to hear. I do have to stop myself from time to time to make sure I do not tell people about my ways instead of telling them about God’s ways; and it is difficult when you think the people around you are not understanding God’s word. It is not our task to re-invent God or His words, but to deliver them to people and allow people to understand what God says.

The prophets had to deliver the word in different ways as God directed them. They did not all stand up and talk in proper accents and sound like great orators of the time. As far as I can tell the prophets were chosen because of their differences and not because they all looked the same. The only trait that continued through all of their lives was their obedience to God!

God is with us and as long as we allow Him to guide us we can continue to be profitable to all people around us. God wants to use us in our own special ways to reach out to more people. We don’t have to talk like kings and queens or statesmen, all we have to do is to obey God and allow people to see God through us. That means acting the way God wants us to act and not the way we think we should act!

Points to Ponder:
How closely do you listen to God?

How closely do you obey God?