[Tuesday's Devotional] - God’s greenhouse: A safe place to be!

God's greenhouse: A safe place to be! Suppose you take a jar of clean water and pour it into a jar of dirty water. Does that make the mixed water pure and drinkable? Of course not!   Suppose you take a jar of dirty water and pour it into a jar of clean water. Does that make the mixture dirty? Yes!   During the time of Haggai, church-going people gave their perfect offerings to God but they were not blessed because they were busy building their own houses while the house of God remained in ruin. That was like mixing dirty and clean water, whichever way you do it, expecting a good result. God was not pleased and He called for a drought in the land.   Like in Haggai's time, the Lord who does not change, is asking the same question today.    "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says: If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?'" The priests answered, "No." Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled." Then Haggai said, "'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the Lord. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled. Haggai 2: 11 -14 [NIV]   When it dawned on the people that they needed to set their priorities right and begin to rebuild God's house first, things changed on the very first day they started doing so.    "From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit." "'From this day on I will bless you.'" Haggai 2: 18-19 [NIV]   Concerning our needs and priorities Jesus said the same thing:   But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:33 [NIV]   If you are worried about Brexit, retirement plans, future economic hardships and other life challenges, how about entering God's greenhouse by seeking the kingdom of God first?   Farai Mutsambiwa Twitter Website Copyright © 2017 St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthew & St. Oswald's Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!