Pursuing Priorities      
    
   Fifty thousand exiled Jews resettled in Jerusalem about 537 B.C. After they laid a foundation to replace Solomon's temple, opposition by Samaritans stopped the work.

   The people became spiritually slack, justifying their apathy by saying the time had not come to build the Lord's house. 

   After 16 years, the word of the Lord came through the prophet, Haggai.

   Is it a time for you to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?  

   Then He pointed out that they were short on harvests, food, drink, warm clothes...and that they put their wages in purses with holes. Life without priority for God's kingdom and righteousness wasn't going so well.

   The remnant of Jews obeyed the voice of God. And the people feared the Lord.  
Haggai 1:12

   Five centuries later, people needed to hear the same message:
 

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matt. 6:33

   Are our priorities in order? Does opposition or other factors give us permission to be slack toward the work of our God and Savior, here and overseas? 

   If we are short on God's presence and blessings (we don't mean financial), maybe there's a Samaritan obstacle waiting to be overcome with a revived heart. 

   This is a challenge for all of us. Many distractions.  

        Jimmy