Proclamation:
"Now give careful
thought to this from this day on,
consider how things were before ... ‘From this day on I will bless you.’" Haggai 2:15 and 19 (NIV)
Explanation:
These words were written
under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Haggai. The people of God had sinned so much that God
considered them and all that they did to be defiled. (Haggai 2:13-14) Haggai told the people several times to
"consider your ways." (Haggai 1:5, 1:7, and 2:15) Their selfish indulgence led them to beautify
their own homes while leaving God’s house in ruins (Haggai 1:9) and God
punished them for that. The people heard
Haggai and responded with repentance and obedience. Because of their obedience The Lord said to
them from that day forward He would bless them.
Application:
As we live from one day, or
year, to the next, it is a good idea for us to consider carefully where we were
and where we stand. As believers we all have
from time to time taken God’s blessings for granted. We spend our time enriching and enjoying
ourselves instead of focusing on glorifying God. If we repent and become obedient, and put Him
first, He will bless us from this day forward.
We need not worry about our past sins as He has forgiven us. (1 John
1:9) Just like every lost sinner who believes,
repents and comes to The Lord, we can do nothing to erase our past sins and
mistakes. Forgiveness from sin, like
salvation, is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) We should just thank Him for His goodness,
His mercy, His grace, and for His willingness to bless us from this day
forward. Then we need to proceed with
our Christian walk knowing that our past sins are forgiven and that blessings
are forthcoming.
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