Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Haggai 2:3 – Haggai is now speaking to the elderly group of God’s people that had returned back to Jerusalem after the exile. We learn that while Solomon’s temple was destroyed decades earlier, some of the people listening to Haggai were old enough to have seen Solomon’s temple in all its glory. And it was glorious! Solomon spared no expense and made that temple a wonder to look at. Yet this new rebuild of the temple was clearly not matching the former glory. We learn from Ezra 3 that these older Israelites who had seen the previous temple and were now seeing the foundation of this new temple wept loudly because it didn’t even compare to what they had before. What’s dangerous about this comparison game is we can fall into the mindset that if part is not grander than someone else’s, isn’t worth offering. If our gifts aren’t as great as theirs, then why serve? If our money isn’t as much as theirs, then why give? Since the temple isn’t as good as the old one, why build this new one? Why? Because God told them to build it! Likewise we offer our gifts to the Lord because He told us to. It’s alright if what you can offer the Lord is less than that of someone else. That reality shouldn’t be the reason you hold back from serving and giving to the Lord. What He is asking from us is to be faithful with the amount He has entrusted to us. Let others give more and let others give less, and rejoice when both happens when they give faithfully to the Lord. The only comparison we should keep in mind is remembering what God has done for us and what what God has given to us…everything. Let that comparison fuel you to give back to Him what He is calling us to give to Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2955
Question To Ponder: How has someone else’s service or giving impacted your serving or giving?
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