God First

YouVersion Chronological Reading Plan — Day 254

Today’s reading God tells Israel, “Be strong,” “Give yourselves to rebuilding the temple,” and promises, “I am with you.” All of this unfolds under His power and sovereignty, and He declares that the latter glory will be greater than the former.

God is a jealous God. He is not pleased when our hearts and lives place anything before Him. The issue is the ordering of priorities. If God is not first, grumbling, discontent, and sin cling to us, and we do not enjoy His blessing. Even in ordinary life, without priorities and principles order collapses—how much more in the life of faith! When we establish spiritual priorities and first keep before God what must be kept, both our faith and our daily life are set in order. Conversely, when God is not first, we easily compromise with sin and fail to lay the foundations of faith. We skip even the most basic—Sunday worship—and we cannot bring the tithe God claims as His. The reason is clear: God is not our first priority.

The lack our forefathers suffered arose from uncleanness, the neglect of the temple, and distorted priorities. Why were they in uncleanness and sin? Because God and His Word were not first for them. When things do not go our way, we grumble and complain, lose heart, and sometimes even sin to get what we want. None of this pleases God. God does not will that we remain in sin.

Therefore God calls us to be cleansed through repentance. Holiness is not contagious, but defilement spreads by contact. In other words, through our words and actions uncleanness can spread. We must guard our speech and conduct carefully, for we can not only fall ourselves but also taint others with grumbling and complaint.

Yet if we repent and turn, God promises to bless. In the New Testament the focus of this blessing is the spiritual blessings in Christ. And the “latter glory” surpassing the former points to the presence of Christ and the presence of the Spirit. This is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit. We must not misunderstand the law of the Old Covenant as something we need not keep or could never keep; rather, what we cannot do in our own strength God enables by His Spirit, so that we may obey. By the Spirit we now live in that grace and in the greater glory of God.

Therefore decide now. Make a decision of faith before God; resolve to obey; rely on the Spirit. As we restore worship, rebuild the temple, and set the work of building God’s kingdom as our highest priority, we will enjoy His blessings and live to accomplish His will. I bless you in the name of the Lord.