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." (Haggai 1:5-6)
Wow! I can certainly identify with that! Never enough. Is that how your life feels sometimes? I just received our income tax bill; so we are feeling like our wages are in a purse with holes in it. Don't even ask us about our retirement accounts. Wish we could count those losses as expenses on our tax return!
"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away." (Haggai 1:9a) This is the story of my financial life. Is it yours? I must confess I am a hoarder by nature. I want to save as much money as possible, and I never feel like I have enough in the savings account. I'm not always sure what I am saving it for, but it makes me feel secure to have money in the bank for emergencies. I know some people who never feel like they have enough money in the checking account. They are not always certain what they plan to spend it on, but they can always think of something. We expect much, but it turns out to be little. Why? Let's read on.
"Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house." (Haggai 1:9b) Haggai was speaking to the people who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. The king had granted them permission to return so that they could rebuild the temple. However, they were instead "busy with their own houses." This describes our lives, doesn't it? I am certainly guilty of spending all my time making sure my own house is in order to the neglect of God's Kingdom business.
God goes on to describe all the blessings He withheld from the land due to the disobedience of the people. What blessings am I missing in my life because of disobedience to God's calling?
In Chapter 2, God asked the people to remember the former splendor of the temple and compare it to the ruins before them. Then He told them to get to work because He would be with them. (v. 4) Then God reminded the people, "The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty." (v. 8, 9) Everything I need belongs to the LORD Almighty. All He asks of me is to be about His business.
"From this day on I will bless you." (Haggai 2:19c)
Oh, how true this all is. We always want something more, something else; instead of being content with what we have. And we concern ourselves more with our own business, than focusing more on God's business and plan. Even thought we know His plan is best for ourselves. Contentment is something I just keep working on. It's comforting to know that everything belongs to God. I don't need to worry about what I have or don't have, cuz it's all God's to begin with. My prayer is that we will surrender that to Him and not worry about what we should have or want to have. Let us be so consumed with our Father that nothing else matters.
ReplyDeleteInstead, I get consumed with petty stuff. It eats up my time and my energy!
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