Build All For His Glory

The last two messages have considered how we ought to use a different
set of priorities in forming our goals and plans. Our goal should be
to fully submit to our Heavenly Father, and our plans must always
remain under His control. We also saw that a life submitted to God
is full of opportunity and excitement. But such a submitted life
requires discipline and perseverance. Though the world may scream
for us to return, we must be determined to continue to live by the
truth of God's Word.

In 586 BC, the armies of Babylon destroyed the Temple in
Jerusalem. About 50 years later, the Jewish people started to
rebuild; but after a few years, their priorities began to
shift. Their comfort and the condition of their own homes became
more important than being obedient to God's call: "Is it time for you
yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house {of
the Lord} remains a ruin?" (Haggai 1:4). God sent the prophet Haggai
to challenge the people to reconsider their values and return to the
work they had begun.

Haggai 1:5-6
"Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have
harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but
never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn
wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

The people had turned from rebuilding the Temple to building their
own homes - from rebuilding their Spiritual lives to building the
comfort of their physical lives - and found that no matter how hard
they worked, they never had enough. Isn't it amazing how the
foundational truths never change?

We have more pulls on our priorities today than at any other time in
history. There are more distractions, more temptations, and many
more "construction projects" that cry for our time and energy. But
if our focus remains on building for our own physical comfort and
security, we will also be ones who find we are NEVER satisfied. It
may take many years to realize this truth, but without an eternal
focus on the glory and honor of God, all our effort drains away.

Our lives have become a Temple of God - a Temple being built to
worship Him for all eternity, and one which must not fall into
ruin! We must build the foundation of this Temple through intimate
prayer and the study of His Word. We must cover all we build with an
overriding desire to love God "with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30).

Each and every day we are given the task of building His Spiritual
Temple. Let's not be turned from this task by projects which so
easily fade away. Let's refocus our priorities and diligently build
ALL for His glory.

Have a Great Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

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Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
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Lorena, TX 76655
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