A powerful truth throughout the Bible is that God is “numero uno” of the universe. He is before and above all things, and we should accord Him that recognition. It is in the light of this that we can appreciate the injunction of the psalmist – “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”Psalms 29:2 NKJV. It is also in the same light that we can appreciate Jesus’ response to those who wanted to know what the greatest commandment was. “Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:29-30 NKJV

Whenever you are tempted to make God play the second fiddle, remember that it is only the blessing of the Lord that can make you rich and add no sorrow with it. Keep God where He belongs!

Often, the need to put God first is overshadowed by our pursuits. That was where the Jewish returnees from captivity found themselves. After the captivity, the people’s morale was low, and they faced a severe shortage of resources. Everybody was busy trying to pick up the pieces of their lives that they forgot to give attention to the house of God. That was the circumstance in which Haggai ministered. He galvanized the people to attend to God’s house so that they might secure His blessing on their lives. Whenever you are tempted to make God play the second fiddle, remember that it is only the blessing of the Lord that can make you rich and add no sorrow with it. Keep God where He belongs!