“Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purpose with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.” Haggai 1:5-7
The phrase, “give careful thought to your ways,” struck me intensely. I paused and said that phrase over and over again. How many times have I impulsively reacted or made decisions and ended up “not harvesting, not having enough food, not having enough drink, cold and penniless?” How many times have I not carefully consider what I was doing and what the consequences would be? What were my motives? What was my purpose? Were my decisions inline with God’s Word and His character?
This passage in Haggai is exhorting and admonishing the people of Israel because they were spending their time beautifying their houses while the house of God lay in ruin. God was asking them to stop and reflect where they were putting their priorities. I was humbled at how often I have been building my kingdom while ignoring God’s.
The irony of the whole situation is that if we follow Matthew 6:33, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be give to you as well,” that we will not only build God’s kingdom but He will take of us as well.
When the Israelites changed their priorities and worked on God’s house, God gave them these promises…
“From this day on I will bless you.” (Haggai 2:19
“I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,” declares the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:23)
In all things, I must pause and remind myself to…
“Give careful thought to my ways.”
