Category Archives: Commands

Commands, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Bible, Scripture, Evil, Redemption, Flesh, Deceit, Devil, Sin, Choices, Cleansing, Boundaries, Wickedness

PUT A LID ON IT

ZECHARIAH 5:8

“Then he said, ‘This is Wickedness!’ And he thrust her into the middle of the ephah and threw the lead weight on its opening.”

Put a lid on it! You may have heard that expression in regard to asking someone to be quiet, to stop talking. It is usually used when someone keeps rambling on about something until someone gets tired of hearing it. Has that ever happened to you? Have you been told that or told someone else that? It happens to the best of us.

Zechariah watches as the angel “puts a lid on it.” He calls the woman “Wickedness” and shoves her back into the ephah and slams down the lead cover. Obviously, when the angel raised the lid in the previous verse to show Zechariah what was in the ephah, the woman tried to stand or escape. But that was not happening here. Slamming of the lead cover showed that God could and would restrain the sin of the nation. He was in control, not the wickedness symbolized by the woman.

APPLICATION

We need to “put a lid” on sin. Our sinful nature is more prone to let it run free. I remember all too well how sin controlled me. It truly is wickedness. But we can gain control of that if we allow the Holy Spirit to slam the lid on it. We are actually told to do just that.

In Romans 6:12-14 we are told, “12 Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.”

Well, you can’t argue with that, can you? We are not under the Law. We are under grace. Praise be to God! Sin has no more control over my life through Jesus. He paid the price. He paid off our debts to sin and its master. We are free to live a life away from sin. We still have that sinful nature in us, but the Holy Spirit can restrain that, if we let Him. Will you?

Lord, use Your Holy Spirit in my life to restrain me from sin, to put the lid on it.

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Accountability, Bible, Commands, Following, Love, Obedience, Salvation, Scripture

STEALING AND SWEARING

ZECHARIAH 5:3

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the entire land; everyone who steals certainly will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears falsely will be purged away according to the writing on the other side.’”

My dad would not tolerate stealing. Nor would he put up with foul language. My dad wasn’t perfect and didn’t come to Christ until later in life, but he was intent on raising us right. I never had the desire to steal (except for that one piece of candy at the grocery store), but I was prone to cuss and swear. Of course, I knew better but still did it.

Do you wonder why this flying scroll singled out these two sins? The commandment against stealing was on one side of the tablet of the ten commandments and swearing (against God) was on the other. They were the eighth and third commandments, respectively. One had to do with sins against others and the other against God. These were representative of the sins of the people.

APPLICATION

It is not hard to see how to apply this to our lives today. What are your sins against others? What are your sins against God? You know them, but have you confessed them to the Lord and asked His forgiveness? I understand that as a child of the Lord and a believer in Jesus as our Savior, we are under grace, not the Law. But we still need to obey His commandments. We are to still strive to be holy.

Leviticus 22:31 tells us, “‘So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the LORD.’” Jesus said in John 14:15, “‘If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.’” Commandment keeping is still important. Let me repeat – we are under grace, not the Law. However, we are expected to follow God’s commands.

You may not steal or swear, but I am willing to bet that you have committed sins against others and God. Take a moment right now and search your heart. Ask the Lord to reveal those transgressions to you and then confess them as sin. Confession is saying the same thing about your sin that God says. Agree with Him. He will forgive. Follow Him.

Oh Father, keep me from transgressing against You and my neighbor. I want to please You.

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Bible, Commands, Commitment, Completeness, Confidence, Scripture

FINISH WHAT YOU START

ZECHARIAH 4:9

“‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of armies has sent me to you.’”

I was taught to always finish what I started. If I started playing a sport, I was expected to finish that season. If I started a project at home or school, the same was true. And it was important that I finish well. I never wanted to half-do something. If it was to carry my name, I wanted it to be excellent.

Zerubbabel and the early remnant of Israel had begun rebuilding the temple when they returned. Twenty years later it was finally finished. Zechariah was an important part of stirring up the excitement to finish this house of God. It just goes to show that God can use anyone or any age to accomplish His purposes.

APPLICATION

Have you been called to do something for the Lord that you have not started or finished? Many of us have. We have all had that initial urge to do something and then the new wears off. When I think of finishing well, I think of Paul’s last words to Timothy. 2 Timothy 4:7 tells us, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;…”

Look back over Paul’s missionary journeys. He was targeted for assassination numerous times, beaten, shipwrecked, and the list goes on. But he did not stop. Neither should we. We have been given a mission by Jesus to go and make disciples. Are we doing that? Are you doing that?

That mission starts right in your family with your children and grandchildren. They are your first mission field. Then how about your neighbors and work colleagues. Wherever God calls you, go and don’t give up. Paul tells us again in Galatians 6:9, “Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.”

Give me the strength, dear Lord, to work until Your return or You carry me home.

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Admonished, Advice, Angels, Bible, Commands, Eternity, Following, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Obedience, Scripture

ADMONISHED

ZECHARIAH 3:6

“And the angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying,”

This time of the year here in the U.S. there are a lot of graduation ceremonies. At most high school and college graduations there will be a speaker, an invited guest. This person may be an alum, a celebrity, a politician or an educator. The purpose of this person’s speech is to admonish, to exhort, to challenge and to remind the students of their responsibilities that lie ahead. I have a granddaughter graduating this year from high school. I am sure she will hear such a speech.

You may question why I would do a devotional on such an insignificant verse. Really? Is any verse insignificant if it is inspired by God? I don’t think so. Look at the verse. The “angel of the Lord” is considered by many to be Jesus Christ who appears throughout the Old Testament. He is reminding Joshua of what is about to come. In the next four verses we will see what He says. This admonishment wasn’t cruel or harsh. It was just a firm reminder.

APPLICATION

I usually see “admonishments” in a negative way. Maybe that’s because I have actually received a lot of those. But an admonishment is not meant to be negative if it comes from the Lord. Remember, His desire is to always draw you to Him. He is not trying to scare you away. James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

I don’t want to react to God’s voice like a feral cat that runs away if you try to approach. I want to be like the family dog that runs to the door to greet you when they hear your car pull into the driveway. They can’t wait to see you. That’s exactly how I want to react when God admonishes me. He may just want to remind me of my purpose or to tell me He loves me.

When God speaks to you, how do you react? Well, Carl, I haven’t heard God speak to me? Oh, you are missing out. Get alone with Him and ask Him to talk to you. You’ve got to listen, though. You’ve got to get quiet and wait. You have to tune your ear to His voice. Then when He does speak you can recognize it. And then hang on. His words of admonishment will be welcomed then.

Speak to my heart, Lord Jesus. Speak that my soul may hear.

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Accountability, Bible, Boundaries, Commands, Direction, Following, Hearing, Obedience, Scripture

YOU KNOW BETTER

ZECHARIAH 1:4

“‘Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, “This is what the LORD of armies says: ‘Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’” But they did not listen or pay attention to Me,’ declares the LORD. “

I can’t recall the number of times my parents told me to not do something. I heard them, but I did not listen. You see, I knew better than to do the things I was doing. I knew doing them would get me in trouble if I was caught. I got to be pretty sneaky. My mom and dad went to heaven not knowing about some of them. Hmmm, now that they are up there, do they know? Lol

The Israelite’s fathers did not listen or pay attention to the Lord’s commands. They heard them over and over again. They knew the Law. They knew the commandments. However, they chose to live as if they did not care. The Hebrew word for “pay attention” means to prick up the ears. Just picture a dog laying down and resting. When you call its name, what does it do first? It pricks up its ears. You see, the Israelites had not pricked up their ears to listen to the Lord.

APPLICATION

What is the Lord telling us in this verse? Prick up your ears! Listen! Do what I say! Sounds easy enough, so why don’t we do it? Because we are just as stubborn as those Israelites who did not listen and pay attention. We want to do what we want, not what the Lord has instructed us to do.

Do you know what happened nine times out of ten when I did not follow my parents’ rules? I got in trouble. Yep, I usually was disciplined. Same is true when I don’t follow God’s rules. I find myself in trouble. God will discipline those whom He loves. Aren’t you glad? Probably not, if you are honest. But it is for our good. We know that, right?

Psalm 103:17-18 paints a beautiful picture of this. “17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him, and His justice to the children’s children, 18 to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts, so as to do them.” I can’t say it any better than that.

O Lord, I know Your commands are for my good. Lead me in the path that is true and right.

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Abiding, Bible, Commands, Following, Promises, Return, Scripture

I WILL RETURN

ZECHARIAH 1:3

“Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the LORD of armies says: “Return to Me,” declares the LORD of armies, “that I may return to you,” says the LORD of armies.’” 

Do you remember going back and forth with your friends saying I’ll go if you go? Then they would reply No, I’ll go if you go. Neither of you would commit until the other committed. This may have applied to jumping off a hill into a pond or river. It may have applied to climbing down into a hole. Whatever the situation, your decision depended on your friend’s decision.

Here in Zechariah 1:3 the LORD tells His people that He would return to them IF they would return to Him. His decision was based on their commitment to return. He had watched their past behavior. He knew how wishy-washy they were. He was still committed to them, but they had to return to Him and show their willingness to follow Him.

APPLICATION

Oh wow! Doesn’t this apply to us today? The Lord stands ready to bless us and lead us, but we have to follow. We have to humble ourselves before Him and show Him we are willing to bow. Why don’t we do that? Why don’t we trust what He says? Because we are a stubborn lot. There is a clear promise to claim in today’s verse IF we follow the command that is given first.

Take some time and dissect this verse. How does this apply to your life? Are you submitting to the Lord each day? We have to remember that God is desirous of fellowship with us. He wants to see us grow in our faith. But God will not force Himself on anyone. We must return, just like the Israelites.

This verse also reminded me of Christ’s return. I want to be found ready. Matthew 24:42 says, “‘Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.’” Are you ready? If Jesus returned this moment as you are reading this blog, are you ready? Make sure of that today? Ask Him. He’ll tell you.

Lord, help me reach others with the Gospel of Your Son, Jesus, so they will not be left behind when He returns.

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Abiding, Accountability, Bible, Commands, Obedience, Rules, Scripture

A RULING

HAGGAI 2:11

“The LORD of armies says this: ‘Now ask the priests for a ruling:’”

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a football fan, especially Georgia Bulldog football. But the one thing I don’t like about the game now are all the pauses in play for the official review of a play. In this scenario, the head umpire goes to the sideline to watch an instant replay of the play in question. This can take a few minutes to several minutes. All the while, the players are cooling down on the field and perhaps losing their momentum at that point in the game. But an official ruling is necessary before the game can continue.

It’s interesting to me that here in verse 11 of Haggai 2, we see God telling Haggai to ask the priests for a ruling. We will see that over the next couple of days. But why does God need the priests to make a ruling. He is not asking them for advice. No! He is just wanting them to take a closer look at His law, not their laws. Just like the head umpire, they need to look very close at what they are doing, at their rulings over people. God is always precise and perfect in His rulings. They weren’t.

APPLICATION

What do you need to take a closer look at? James tells us in James 1:25, “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.” “To look intently” means to stoop down and look, to really look. The same word is used in John when John and Peter went to the tomb after the resurrection of Jesus. It says John stooped and looked.

Take a few minutes today and “stoop and look” at how you are following Jesus. If you find yourself not following Him at all, stop whatever you are doing and come to Him. If for salvation, make today the day your surrender to Him. If for correction, let Jesus guide you back as you look intently at your walk.

We are all at different places in our walk with Jesus. But we all need to look intently and make a ruling about our journey. Make sure you are making the right ones. Only His Word can show you that. Take the time today. I promise it will be time worth taking.

I trust Your rulings in my life, O God. You are always right and true.

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Accountability, Advocate, Appointed, Bible, Bosses, Commands, Scripture, Testimony, Witnessing

GOD KEEPS SPEAKING

HAGGAI 2:10

“On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,”

I have a lot of bosses or supervisors during my ministry years. There were many times when they sent me to represent them in a meeting somewhere. I was usually given a message to deliver for them. When I delivered that message, I was careful to make sure the people in the meeting knew the words I shared were from my boss and not mine personally.

Haggai is a short book. Take a few minutes and read the whole book. As you are reading it, take note (if you want, use a highlighter) of every time the word of the Lord comes to Haggai or when it says “the Lord says” or something similar. You will see very quickly that Haggai is only speaking what the Lord told Him to say. He is only doing what the Lord has told him to do.

APPLICATION

We read something similar in John 15:49-50. “49 ‘For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.’”

Even Jesus spoke only what the Father told Him to say. If that is true of the Son of God, shouldn’t we practice the same? We are too quick to give “godly” advice to people that we have no business giving. We tell people what God says they should do without first asking the Lord about it. Yes, we should share the Word with others. Yes, we should talk about Jesus to others. But let’s be careful to speak only the words the Lord has given us.

I pray just about every morning for the Lord to give me the opportunity to share Jesus with someone. I want to witness. I want to testify to our risen Savior, but I only want to do that when it is clear the Lord has opened that door. I don’t want to kick the door open before it is time. The Spirit in me (which is the Spirit of God, will direct when, to whom and how to do that. So, listen intently to Him. He will tell you what to say.

I love to tell the story, ‘Twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

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Bible, Commands, Glory, God's Will, Hearing, Listening, Messages, Scripture, Witnessing

JUST GOD’S WORDS

HAGGAI 2:2

 “‘Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,’”

There’s a game I used to play a lot with children. You line the kids up and then give the first one in the line a message to pass down the line. The message should be clear but perhaps a little challenging. Let the children pass it down the line very quietly so only the person they are talking to can hear it. The only rule is they can only tell it once to the person they are passing it to. At the end of the line the last child will say what they heard out loud. Normally, the last message is nothing like the one you told the first child. The game is called Rumors.

Haggai is not playing a game with the Israelites. God isn’t whispering in his ear and asking him to pass it along to see how wrong they can get it. No! God speaks clearly. His words are precise. He is giving Haggai a message to deliver to His people. Why? Well, we will see that in the coming days. Come back to this blog site and watch how God’s message can bring peace and comfort.

APPLICATION

When God speaks, we must share. His message to us is never meant just for us. Now, it may be a very personal message. But God wants His words known to the world. You may ask How do I know that it is God speaking to me? Simple. Does the message glorify Him? Does it agree with Scripture. You can be assured that any message you get from the devil will do neither.

What is the message God has given you? What! You haven’t heard from Him? Are you listening? You can’t hear God unless you have your ears tuned in to hear His voice. God normally isn’t going to shout it to you in claps of thunder. His message will come to you as you study His Word or meditate on a passage. Perhaps in the quietness of your prayer time He will speak.

Once you hear the message, though, tell everyone. They may think you are a little “off,” but that is okay. Tell them how God loves them. Tell them how they can experience that love. Tell them they have a Savior in Christ. You see, God is still proclaiming that message. We have work that needs to be done. Let’s go.

Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere.

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Accountability, Battles, Bible, Commands, Danger, Destruction, God's Will, Scripture

I HUFF AND I PUFF

HAGGAI 1:9

“‘You start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?’ declares the LORD of armies. ‘It is because of My house which remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.’”

Call me weird (many people have), but when I read this verse, I immediately thought of the children’s story about the big, bad wolf who huffed and puffed and blew down the houses of the little piggies. Their houses fell, of course, because they were built of inferior products (straw and sticks). But even the little piggie house built out of brick could not have withstood the breath of God.

We may think we are building something, but if it is not according to God’s will, it will not last. Here in verse 9, we see that. Because they had neglected God’s house, their houses would not stand. Because they had been disobedient, He would “blow it away.” They were so concerned about their own stuff and had no regard for the things of God.

APPLICATION

Look at these words from James 4:13-15. “13 Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” 

Get the picture? Our plans don’t matter. I heard a quote this weekend which is worth repeating. “God doesn’t care if you make Him part of your plan. He wants to make you part of His.” Are you part of His plan? Are you focusing on Him and not you? He has such great plans for your life. Believe that! He wants to use you.

So, how do we neglect God’s house today? By not giving. By not serving. By not obeying. All those are signs of neglect. And just like a physical house will fall down from lack of care, our spiritual house will collapse also if it is not properly cared for. Watch out for those signs of spiritual rot and decay. Be proactive, not reactive.

O Lord, I want to care for Your house. I want to be that servant who is diligent and faithful.

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