From today I will give a blessing! (Haggai 2:20)
Holy living is hard work. That is one of the messages that Prophet Haggai gave to the exiles who returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of God.
Haggai gave the example of an Israelite who carried meat reserved for the temple of God in the lining of his shirt. The garment is considered holy because of what it carries, but that holiness cannot be transferred to other things (Haggai 2:13). But on the other hand, something unclean will defile what it touches (Haggai 2:14).
The above shows us that we must be careful in living in this world. We are easily spoiled by the filth that surrounds us every day. This is the same as what happened to boys. They often come home dirtier than when they left the house. The dirt, grass, and oil from the bikes all smothered the active boy. The only way to keep them clean is to keep them away from dirt.
If children get dirty, they can be cleaned. But the people of Haggai's day had been defiled by disobedience and selfishness. The Prophet said the purge of them would begin when they responded to his message and put Allah first. Then, as Haggai 2:20 explains, God's joy will return. Holiness will lead us to blessings.
Obedience to God is hard to do -- but worth fighting for -- JDB
A SMALL STEP OF OBEDIENCE IS A BIG STEP TO A BLESSING
* Take from Daily Reflections