10/16/11

The Turtle "defense"


This young lady has a problem.  The turtle is going "defense mode" and hiding in its shell, so she can't see it no matter how hard she tries.  A lot of things in life are like that; no matter what you do, you fail, period.  Some things can (and should) be corrected, however.  Here is one such example from the old testament book of Haggai...

Haggai 1:1-13 (WEB)
1) In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the Word of Yahweh came by Haggai, the prophet, to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
2) “This is what Yahweh of Armies says: These people say, ‘The time hasn’t yet come, the time for Yahweh’s house to be built.’”
3) Then the Word of Yahweh came by Haggai, the prophet, saying,
4) “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies waste?
5) Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways.
6) You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don’t have enough. You drink, but you aren’t filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it.”
7) This is what Yahweh of Armies says: “Consider your ways.
8) Go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house. I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified,” says Yahweh.
9) “You looked for much, and, behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says Yahweh of Armies, “Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house.
10) Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.
11) I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that which the ground brings forth, on men, on livestock, and on all the labor of the hands.”
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 Yahweh, their God, and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as Yahweh, their God, had sent him; and the people feared Yahweh.
13) Then Haggai, Yahweh’s messenger, spoke Yahweh’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you,” says Yahweh.

They initially failed because they neglected God.  They failed to do HIS WILL and put themselves FIRST.  Sound familiar?  What is happening in this country?  God is being put on the sidelines; in public and in private.  And many wonder why we have the problems we do.  Every one of us who claims a relationship with the Almighty should act like our status with God would have us to do.  It is not enough to stumble blindly through life, ignoring the degradation of our country, we need to do something about it!!!   What, depends on who and where you are and what God has given you to work with.  We are not islands unto ourselves, we can't stick our heads in the sand or retract them into our  turtle "shell" of retreat.  We need to stick our neck out for God and do something, anything.  Pray about it; God will send you a message one way or another, although it won't be the prophet Haggai in person.  Who knows, perhaps this passage from the book that bears his name just might be enough to change things.  After all, that's why its there!!!