Obedience to God’s Call (NLT)
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!” 14 So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, 15 on September 21[c]of the second year of King Darius’s reign.
Enthusiasm is how God moves us!
In the NIV, the word is "stirred:"
So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people.
In The Message, it reads:
13Then Haggai, God's messenger, preached God's Message to the people: "I am with you!" God's Word.
14-15This is how God got Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all the people moving— got them working on the Temple of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. This happened on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.
Enthusiasm is GOD moving, stirring, and getting us to work!
What do you think of that? (I'd love your thoughts.)
Be encouraged,
Becky
How true this is, enthusiasm creates an environment that people want to listen because ,for one thing, others want to be part of the action. I noticed this with my bible reading. I would pray for something and then that day the bible would jump off the page. I could hardly wait to tell someone. My husband who normally would politely listen if I said let me tell you what I read in the bible today was actually prompting me to tell other family members my latest ah ha experience. Think about when you have a perfect gift and you want the recipient to open the it. Your enthusiasm acts as an introduction of something great to come.
ReplyDelete15+ years ago I saw Becky jumping across a stage talking about prayer. Her enthusiasm ignited in me a habit of prayer. How great is that!!!
I will be on mute on the call today.
ReplyDeleteEnthusiasm! I have been thinking about this over the week but with the hectic schedule of preparing for Christmas I didn’t get a chance to sit down and put my thoughts into words. Now seems the perfect time, it is Christmas morning and my children are teenagers and the enthusiasm of Christmas morning has changed. They aren’t pulling me out of bed at 5am overcome with excitement, but enjoying their sleep. I on the other hand am up and soaking in God’s word.
ReplyDeleteDoes our enthusiasm for God change as we allow ourselves to just make going to church another thing we do? I felt my enthusiasm for reading my Bible every day and diminished and become a “to do” on my daily check list. But being in this group this past year, has given me the enthusiasm to open the Word of God and hear him speak to me again. He not only spoke to me through his Word but through all of you who post on the blog and Becky’s phone calls.
I want to leave you today with a few thought from Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest devotional for today, December 25, 2011:
The Bible verse is Isaiah 7:14.
“He (Jesus) is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate, God coming into human flesh, coming into it from outside. His life is the Highest and the Holiest entering in at the Lowliest door. Our Lord’s birth was an advent. “
“Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God?”
“The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me. Immediately Christ is formed in me, His nature begins to work through me.”
Enthusiasm! My prayer is that God’s Word always sparks the enthusiasm we need to tell others of the Good News!
May you have all a Blessed Christmas.
7/7
Thanks Lorraine, for posting that.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very low key Christmas this year and your words really show the blessing we have in the Word of God.
I'm all excited because we are in the last few pages of the CYL Bible and I have made it 7/7 all year.
Things around us may be discouraging, but His Word is not. I'm blessed because of this group and all of you.
Laura.