In our days there are those who offer miracles as signs of true life
in Christ. Others offer self esteem, success and prosperity. While
these things may bring in the curious and the needy crowds, they are
not the heart of the Lord’s message, and may become distracting
idols and vanities in our lives. Today many ministries have
dominated the lives of God’s people. Many people believe in these
men rather than in the Lord Jesus, and what His Word says. Their
leaders have become idols in their lives. This provokes God to
jealousy. Jesus impressed upon His disciples that loving Him was
more important than life itself.
John 6
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye
seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of
the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto
you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Have you noticed that we have boundless energy for things that
directly benefit us? We are able to run around till we are dog-tired
for the sake of our ministry; but when it comes to sitting at the
feet of our Lord it seems like inactivity for which we have no time
and in no time grow lethargic. We find it easy to suffer wherein our
self-interest is involved; but we find it difficult and bothersome
to suffer for our brethren or even the Lord. It seem as though, “it
is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread
of sorrows”. Why is it? It is because one has not honoured the Lord
and given Him the first place. This is what the Lord says to the
people of God through Prophet Haggai.
Haggai 1
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not
enough; 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 it into a bag with holes.
9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye
brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts.
Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his
own house.
Why? It is because we have provoked Him with our
vanities. Oh yes, there are many areas which we have not yet yielded
unto the Lord. He says to us in jealousy laced with righteous anger,
“you are Mine; you are My people. You shall worship Me. You shall
have no other god than the Lord thy God. And if you make other gods
you shall provoke Me to jealousy. I will come against you in my zeal
and love; for I am jealous over My house, which is your life.”
Beloved, let us not resist the hand of God. Let us break every image
that provokes our Lord, be it our love for music, for socializing,
for adventure or even for sports. Unless we humble ourselves and
acknowledge the reality of the presence of ‘other gods’ in our lives
we shall never obtain deliverance. We shall continue to be under
bondage of one kind or another.
