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First Glory
Haggai 2:3
"Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?"
The temple had been rebuilt, but the new temple was of no comparison to the old. Sin caused Israel to see the first temple destroyed, but a new temple had been rebuilt in its place. In the verse above, God came to those who had seen the previous temple and said to them, "Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?" Those who had seen the temple in its first glory saw this rebuilt temple as nothing. The glory of the rebuilt temple was of no comparison to the first. Sin caused the first glory to be destroyed, and now the glory that would come would be nothing compared to the first.
Let me ask you, do you run scared of losing the first glory of God's presence in your life? There is nothing that I am more afraid of than losing the glory of God on my life. Yes, God can always rebuild and bring His glory back, but the first glory is without stain. The first glory is where you will find the greatest blessings of God. The first glory is where the fresh excitement is present. If you are not scared of losing the first glory of God's presence on your life, then you should be.
I have been around Christianity my whole life and have seen many men in their first glory. I would not give their names, but there are many people whom God used in a great way who allowed sin to mess up their first glory. Yes, many of these people allowed God to rebuild them, but they never quite reached the pinnacle of glory that they once obtained.
Sin is the quickest way to lose that first glory. If anything should move you to get rid of sin in your life it is the fact that it will take the glory of God from you. All that God has blessed you with can be taken in a moments notice because of sin. Sin is no respecter of persons when it comes to what it will destroy. Sin cares not how prominent you may be in your church. Sin cares not what God has done through you. Sin cares not how long you have been serving God. Sin will destroy all that you have built and cause you to lose your first glory. Christian, don't let sin take the first glory away from you. Get rid of your sin before it takes your first glory away.
Furthermore, God can rebuild your life, but the glory on your life will be no comparison to what it used to be. One thing you do not want to live with is the memory of what it used to be. Though God may rebuild a life destroyed by sin, they will have to live with the regrets of what could have been if they would not have allowed sin in their life.
Moreover, if you have lost your first glory, you can thank God that He can rebuild your life and bring His glory back. Though it will not be in comparison to what it used to be, God can still use you in a great way. Don't wallow in your self pity and what you could have had. Instead, get up and let God rebuild your life. Though the glory won't compare to the first glory, it is still the glory of God.
I challenge you to be careful about allowing sin to take your first glory from you. Get rid of sin so that you will never have to live your life comparing what you have now to what you used to have. Keep the first glory until the day you die!