As it may please Almighty God
to bless us together this morning, I will speak to you from the
prophecy of Haggai in the first chapter, and we'll read verse
five. The prophecy of Haggai, chapter
one, and reading verse five. Now therefore, thus saith the
Lord of hosts, consider your ways. the word of God is so very clear
and so very powerful and here in these words it's very certain
that there are those times in each of our lives when we need
to hear God's words to consider our ways. It was necessary to
Israel On this occasion, it's been necessary to the Church
of God throughout the ages, and it's no less necessary for each
of us today before God to consider our ways. We may say, well, this
word consider, what it really means to ponder or to deliberate
upon. We need to think carefully about
the truth of God's Word. And to realise that as God speaks
to us through his Word, that we should not ignore it and consider
it isn't relevant to us. Sometimes if things don't match
our plans, match the things that we want to do, our tendency is
to ignore the Word of God and think, well that doesn't apply
to me. Well, on this occasion of course
here, the Prophet Haggai was sent by Almighty God on this
occasion to stir up the people. They'd come into really a very
self-centered and lukewarm condition. And the result was therefore
that the Lord caused wonderfully and mercifully Haggai and Zachariah
to come and to prophesy to the people and to alert them to the
condition and the situation that they were in. And what was that? They were looking after themselves. They weren't concerned very much
about the things of God. And that's very true today. we very easily become concerned
about ourselves, rather than the things of God. We're more concerned about how
we're doing, what we're working for, how we're prospering. And
the things of God, they fall into a secondary place. And instead of being priority,
They're secondary. And we concentrate on the poor
things of time rather than the great things of God. And really it is quite surprising
and quite amazing when we think of this situation here in the
Word of God. We think that there was Israel,
they'd been brought out of Babylon, They'd spent all those years
there. And remember, no temple, no altar to sacrifice on. 70 long, hard years. And then the Lord had wonderfully
enabled them to return to Jerusalem. And we would think they would
be utterly filled with joy to be able to once again serve the
Lord. Well, it started off well. But
then you see the enemies of God came along and they saw what
was happening and they hated it. They didn't want to see Jerusalem
rebuilt. They didn't want to see the temple
rebuilt, the walls rebuilt. And therefore what did they do?
They got together and they sent a letter to the king of Babylon
and say, hey, search out and find out whether these people
weren't a real nuisance. years ago when they had kings
and they destroyed other nations round about and now they're seeking
to renew that position of strength and of course the search was
made and it was true they had been powerful and they had caused
difficulties to arise and so the king issued a decree that
a building should stop and therefore the message was
brought back very gleefully by these people and they told the
Israelites to stop building. Well they didn't seem to make
much effort to continue. They seemed satisfied just to
sit back and now ignore God's house and to work on their own
houses. The zeal seemed to be extinguished
and they were satisfied to carry on without rebuilding the temple. And it was necessary and wonderful
compassion by Almighty God to therefore send the Prophet Haggai
and Zachariah to stir up the people to realize what they were
doing. And what a blessing it is, you
know, when the Lord God today comes and stirs up His people
through and by His Spirit to consider their situation, consider
what they're doing. And so these words, now, therefore,
not tomorrow, not next year, but now, says the prophet, now,
therefore, saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways Now
what a good thing it is if the Holy Spirit descends upon all
of us Whatever our condition and gives us grace to consider
ourselves Not other people don't look around and point fingers
at other people Look to yourself look to myself to see what we
are doing and therefore to consider our ways, consider my way, consider
your ways and to ponder the position and to deliberate and as the
Lord gives us grace to analyse therefore our spiritual life
and to determine whether we are walking in accordance with the
word of the Lord or whether we are walking in accordance with
our way. and our plans. You see, it's
very easy to walk contrary to God. And sometimes we do it inadvertently. We may not do it deliberately.
But don't forget, the devil is very clever, very cunning, and
he wouldn't want to come out in the open, as it were, and
tell you, You mustn't do that because you're not concentrating
on the things of God. He's far more sly than that. He's far more able to detract
us from the things of God and to make us sidetrack ourselves
and to go aside as it were. And rather than concentrating
on the things of God, concentrating on the things that are flesh,
likes to do. Spiritual life, do remember,
is not easy. Spiritual life is described in
the Word of God very clearly, and we're told by the Lord himself,
it is through much tribulation that we shall enter the kingdom.
What that means is this, it'll be a battle, it'll be a struggle,
There'll be many things to oppose us, to take us away from the
things of God. How easily you and I are disturbed
and detracted from the things of God and attracted to the things
which please our flesh. But they're not the things that
please God. And they're not the things which will truly bring
us into a healthy spiritual state. There are things that will bring
barrenness into our soul. We have to perhaps cry, how barren
is my soul today? Sometimes we're content with
that, just a statement. And we go on in that position,
in a state of barrenness. But it's not healthy, and it's
not God-honouring, And it won't be that position which will bring
us safely to glory. Remember then, thus saith the
Lord. Consider your ways. Don't take
it from me this morning. Don't take it from me, take it
from the Lord. The Word of God. And again, in
the New Testament, we are encouraged to examine ourselves. Don't be
discouraged. It's not always easy. It's something
we don't like doing, perhaps, because we might find there are
things that we should have done differently, things that we should
be doing differently. And yet the result is we are
not serving the Lord. These people, they weren't serving
the Lord, were they? What were they doing? Serving
themselves. And therefore, by inference,
what were they doing? Serving the devil. They didn't perhaps
realise it on the surface, but that's really what it is. And
so what a mercy it is if you are not able, therefore, to take
these words to heart, to consider our ways, and not just today,
but every day, to weigh up our life before God. And to see that those things
that we are doing, the things that we're thinking, the things
that we're saying, are for the eternal good of our souls and
for the honour and glory of God. You know how easy it is to lose
sight of the fact that you and I are rapidly speeding through
life into eternity. To that day when we must stand
before God, when for us time will be no more, and how tragic
it will be if we have spent our life serving ourselves, if we
have never before God considered our ways, but we've been content
as it were, to take the easy path. Well, the path of sin is
often naturally easy. There's not any opposition, because
we won't be opposed by the devil. He'll encourage us in it. He'll
speak well of us. And he'll make us proud of our
success, perhaps, in the things of time. But you see, how does it, how
does our soul stand? How are we? How will we be when
we come to the sweatings of Jordan? When we come to that day when
we must leave time and enter into eternity? Well, what a blessing
it is that this prophecy has been recorded, small as it is,
and yet detailed as it is for us to be encouraged. And what
does the Apostle say? Well, he tells them what they've
been doing. And he says this, ye have sown
much and bring in little. Yes, they've been concentrating
on the things of time, but it hadn't really been a much benefit.
And he says, and ye eat, but ye have not enough. And 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 into a bag with holes. See, if we are not walking in
accordance with God's will and purpose, we may find that all
our efforts are really of no true benefit. And that's why
the Lord says, again, it's a repeated word, thus saith the Lord of
hosts, consider your ways. Stop, ponder, deliberate as to
whether we are walking in accordance with God's way. accordance with God's will and
we found things that have come upon us they do come upon us we don't
seem to free ourselves from them well there's a gracious word
from God today to consider our ways and as we consider it So just
think, whether we are doing those things which are pleasing to
God, or that we're doing all these
other things which are not really benefiting our souls. No, the word of God is clear,
isn't it? So he tells us it. He says, then
go up to the mountain. and bring wood and build the
house. And again, see this wasn't just on their doorstep as it
were. The building of his house had
to go up to the mountain. Yes, it wasn't an easy journey.
The Christian path is not an easy journey. There's much opposition. As you,
as it were, go up to the mountain to to bring wood, that may be
to turn to the Word of God, and to turn to prayer. And you see,
it may not be easy. And yet you see, what does the
Lord say? I will take pleasure in it, and
I will be glorified, saith the Lord. The things that please
God are not easy to the flesh. The flesh dislikes the way, but
faith approves it well. It's a wonderful favour to know
the Lord is on our side. It's a terrible thing to know
the Lord is against us. Because you see, if we, as it
were, go up to the mountain, as it were, battle and struggle
against it, the steepness perhaps of it, And the opposition, which
we find and we think, why can't I just stay where I am? Why can't
I just walk on the level ground on the plain? Why can't I just
carry on this way? No, you see, the things of God
are not easy. There's much opposition, especially
from our flesh. What a blessing it is when the
Lord enables us to follow his way. The Lord goes on to say,
you look for much. No, it came to little. Didn't
say it didn't come to anything, but it came to little. And then
he said, when you brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? I said, the Lord of hosts,
because of mine house that is laid waste and ye run every man
unto his own house. And again, this has a personal
application to our own spiritual life, our own spiritual condition,
how important it is the Lord gives us that grace to look to
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. They rebuilt this temple eventually. It was never, of course, like
the Temple of Solomon. It was never as glorious as the
Temple of Solomon. But it was the temple. It was
the place where the Lord saw fit to come and be with them.
It would seem that there was no ark. There were no cherubims. But nonetheless, the Lord deigned
to be there. But you know what occurred eventually? one of his wonderful glory, it
was when Christ came and he entered into the temple. And what a blessing
that is, when Christ comes to us and enters into our heart. And then it is that we are spiritually
blessed. Then it is that we rejoice in
the great and glorious gospel. And the Lord delivers us from
the vanity of the things of time. That doesn't mean to say we can
free ourselves totally from them, because we are to live in the
world. But what the Word of God tells us, we are not to be of
it. In the world, but not of it. What a wonderful thing that is. And so to realise such condition
that we find ourselves in. When the Lord says, why saith
the Lord of hosts, because of mine house that is waste, and
ye run every man into his own house. Therefore heaven over
you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.
What that means is that spiritually we are dry, we're barren, we're
not fruitful in the things of God, And yet we just carry on. Well, this was like Israel. They
carried on for a good few years until the Lord came. And the Lord remembered his people. He didn't cast them off. And
that's a mercy, isn't it? The Lord remembers us. As it were, he brings us to our
senses. We realise we've been spending
our time, our energy on things that do not profit. And then
what a mercy to have the Lord turn and smile upon us and direct
us then to himself, to himself. Oh what a mercy it is then to
be healthy, spiritually minded in the things of God. And the
word of the Lord came to Haggai in this way, then Zerubbabel
the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josianek, the high
priest with all the remnant of the people. What happened? They
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
did fear before the Lord. We're told, aren't we, in the
Psalms and Proverbs, the fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. And the fear of the Lord is that which directs us
to do those things which are right, because we don't want
to offend God. We want to do those things which
are pleasing to God. Now then, when there was that
return, when there was that obeying the voice of the Lord, what did
Haggai then say? Then spake Haggai the Lord's
messenger and the Lord's message unto the people saying, I am
with you, saith the Lord. No greater blessing than that
is to know that the Lord is with us. Don't expect the Lord to
be with you if you're not obeying the voice of the Lord. Don't expect to enjoy the favour
of God. Don't expect to be blessed with
communion with God. Don't expect to feed upon Christ
Don't expect to enjoy that union with Christ if you are disobeying
the Word of God. Now then, therefore, how good
it is. The Lord speaks to us in this
way. And if you just stand back and
read this prophecy of Haggai, What you will observe, although
it doesn't say in so many words, what you will observe is this.
God's love to his people. They weren't cast off. They deserved
to be. And what a mercy if we're not
cast off, although we deserve to be. and is because of God's
love. And really how gently did the
Lord speak through Haggai to the people. He told them where
they were, what they've been doing wrong, and what they should
do. And then you see when their hearts
were moved. Oh it's good when our hearts
are moved, by the Spirit of God to obey
the Word of God. You know, the Prophet Jeremiah,
in his Lamentations, he said, Let us search and try our ways
and turn unto the Lord. Similar words, aren't they, really?
Consider our ways. Let us search and try our ways
and turn again unto the Lord. You see, it needs grace. The Lord gives grace. The Lord
gives grace and he gives more grace. To do that, the devil
doesn't want you to do. He doesn't want you to examine
yourself. He doesn't want you to turn and
search and try your ways. But it's a great blessing if
God comes and gives us grace to do just that. To search out
our hearts, our actions, our thoughts, our words. Are they
in accordance with God's way? Or are we letting things just
slip away? Are we just content with just
an outward form? Back in Jerusalem, Yes, they were back there, but
they weren't doing that which the Lord had commanded they should
do. Sometimes, you know, we might be found, as it were, in Jerusalem,
we can think of that, in the Church of God, we can be found
sitting in the Church of God, but we're not doing the will
of our God. We're just satisfying ourselves. Well, you and I surely need to
know the blessing of God to rest upon us. And that will be as the Holy
Spirit enables us to turn unto Him. Turn unto Him. You see, sometimes there may
be that being bound because of it. There's no spiritual freedom
in disobeying the Word of God. You might think, well, I'm all
right, I'm just carrying on, I'm just enjoying myself and
doing what I want to do. But there's no true liberty,
there's no true freedom in that. And it may be that you'll find
yourself, like Job tells us, and when Elihu was speaking,
And he says this, he withdraweth not his eyes from
the righteous, but with kings are they on the throne. Yea,
he doth establish them forever, and they are exalted. And if
they be bound in fetters and beholden in cords of affliction,
then he showeth them their work and their transgressions that
they have exceeded. He openeth also their ear to
discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity." The grace of God does that for
you and me. The good words that Elihu spoke, good words for us
to remember, if he opens our ears. A number of times recently
I mentioned that. Roland mentioned it on Friday,
didn't he? He that hath ears to hear, let
them hear. What a mercy, what a blessing,
my friends, if God unstops our spiritual ears to hear his words
for the eternal good of our souls. You know, the psalmist in that
wonderful psalm, the 119th psalm, we read, I think it's in verse
59 and 60, we read some very beautiful words and so instructive
they are. And this is what the Lord says.
He says, well, let me read from the beginning of this clause,
verse 57. Thou art my portion, O Lord. I have said that I would keep
thy words. I wonder whether you and I can
say that before God. I entreated thy favor. with my
whole heart, not half-hearted, whole-hearted. Be merciful unto
me according to thy word. I thought on my ways and turned
my feet unto thy testimonies." Oh, the grace of God. It's wonderful,
isn't it? Because it influences us to do
that which is right. and that which is for his honour
and glory and for the eternal good of our souls. I thought
on my ways to consider our ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies."
And then he says this, I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments. You see, where the Word of the
Lord is, where the Word of the Lord comes directly to our souls,
it has an effect. It must have an effect. Because
you see, then we are doers of the Word, not hearers only. It's
easy to be a hearer, it's not quite so easy to be a doer. But
you see, those that fear the Lord are concerned to be doers. Because they're concerned to
please God. Perhaps, like Israel, we've been
pleasing ourselves. We're looking after ourselves.
Concerned about what we're going to do. How we're going to prosper. And we put to one side the things
of God. We haven't given them priority. Well, what a blessing. if we're
considering our ways. The Lord tells us, as he did
here in these words, I thought on my ways and turned my feet
unto thy testaments. The word of God, the law of God,
the commands of God are feet, you see. That means we walk in
God's ways. We're blessed if God turns our
feet. Because if he turns our feet, You know which way they'll
be directed to. I shouldn't need to tell you,
but I will. To Christ. And Him crucified. I thought on my ways, and turned
my feet unto thy testimonies. And then I made haste, and delayed
not to keep thy commandments. You see, the king's business
demands haste. The devil will say, don't worry. Any time will do. Well, says the Lord, through
Haggai the prophet. Powerful words, really. Consider
your ways. Don't turn away. You know, as
you read the Word of God, we need to realize how high and
holy God is. We fail to do that very, very
often. And yet, you know, the psalmist
had a word for that. And he tells us this in the fourth
psalm and the fourth verse. He says this, stand in awe. Now we stood before God in awe
of the greatness and the power of Almighty God. His holiness. Stand in awe and sin not. Commune with your own heart upon
your bed and be still, Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness
and put your trust in the Lord. Oh, there be many that say, who
will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light
of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my
heart more than the time that their corn and their wine increased. You see, natural prosperity is
good, but spiritual prosperity is far better. gladness in my
heart. And so, Psalmist David says,
with this blessed realisation, I will both lay me down in peace. And peace with God is a blessed
thing. My friends, you don't receive
peace when you walk contrary to God. These Israelites pleasing
themselves, they weren't walking in peace with God. But Dave is
able to say, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for
thou, Lord, only, makest me dwell in safety. You see, as Dave was
blessed with that heavenly peace, and you and I are blessed with
that heavenly peace, when we seek first, first, the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, not second, not third, not fourth,
first, the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God would
direct us to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the
King of kings and the Lord of lords. It must, it will, because
he would have all the glory. And where does that glory come?
When we view by faith the suffering Saviour dying to atone for our
sins. Oh, then we rejoice. in the great
work of salvation. And we bless God for it. And
we're so thankful to know that we have such a God. You may remember,
I'm sure you do, in Luke's Gospel, there's that account, the parable
of the prodigal son. He left his father's house. He
went away. and enjoyed himself, so he thought.
But natural enjoyment fizzled out. And then, what a blessing, we
read those words, he began to be in want. What a mercy, if
God enables you and me to consider our ways, that we begin to be
in want, and we turn to the Lord, and we seek unto Him, that he
will be with us. He was with that prodigal, and
eventually, you see, he arose and went to his father. And his
father received him with open arms. My friends, we have a God
who waits to be gracious, who receives his children with open
arms when they return to him. It gives them that grace to come,
to return, and to receive the blessing. Well, my friends, may
you and I today ponder these words. Remember, as I commenced,
consider means to ponder and means to deliberate. It doesn't
mean to just forget about it. It means to consider it very
carefully, and to do that which is in accordance with God's word. Hearing what happened to these
Israelites, they obeyed the voice of the Lord, their God. How humbling to realise, if you
and I have a God, who we can call our God, and he gives us
grace, to turn to him, to obey his voice, Turn away from ourselves
and turn to Him. Because don't forget, you and
I have a never-dying song. And one day you and I must stand
before the judge of all the earth. And what a blessing it will be
to hear that glorious word come in, Thou blessed of my Father,
why standest thou without? And not to hear those words,
those terrible words, depart from me, I never knew you. My
friends, may we ponder, may we deliberate on the truth of God's
words and therefore consider what we're doing. If we're walking
contrary to God and if we are to pray for that grace to turn
and do his will and walk before him in the light of his countenance. My friends, there's no more blessed
path than obeying the word of the Lord. Amen.