Wow…I read the most convicting and powerful book this morning. It’s one of those times where you have read it before but today it just seemed like the Holy Spirit was definitely pointing out how this soooo pertains to my life right now. I read the book of Haggai. The nuggets that are in this book are amazing. So simple…just two chapters…but if I can grasp this message I believe that it will radically change my life…FOREVER!
To give a little background to this book, it was the year of 586 B.C. and the Babylonian armies had destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. This was God’s house which was symbolic of His presence with them. In 538 B.C. King Cyrus agreed to let the Jews return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. They however forgot what their purpose was and became distracted by their own selfish desires. Their purpose was to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed when they were taken into captivity. It was because of their sin, their disobedience, their worship of other gods that they became slaves. It was time for them to rebuild the temple because it represented God and their devotion to Him. However, they soon became distracted by their own desires.
The Israelites said, “the time has not yet come for the Lord’s house to be built.” (Haggai 1: 2) God spoke through Haggai and said: “is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “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 purse with holes in it. Give care thought to your ways.” (Haggai 1:4-7)
“You expected much, but see it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.” (Haggai 1:9-11)
The Israelites were doing everything they could to build up their own little kingdoms, their own “temple” without disregard to God and the purpose they were created for. However, everything they planned for came up short. It was less then they dreamed. Instead of building God’s house they spent their time and money on worldly affairs…on things that wouldn’t last…on the temporary instead of the eternal. Do we seek our own things and interests more than the things of God? Our ideas, plans and desires pale so greatly compared to the riches of God.
The book of Haggai goes on to say that the people turned and obeyed God and God told them that He was with them. They worked on the temple and finished it and the Lord said in Haggai 2:19b, “From this day on I will bless you.” Can I just say, WOW?!?! Our gracious Lord is so full of mercy.
As believers God dwells in us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Have we built a temple for our God to dwell in or do we concern ourselves with the temporary? Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” My focus must be on what is eternally important to God. If I do things His way, He will take care of everything else. Everything else…my hopes and dreams…desires and plans…fall so very short of walking the path that my Heavenly Father has created for me. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) May I always remember to…
GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT TO MY WAYS
