Mercy loves singing and spending time with friends as well as volunteering her time!
Haggai 1:9
‘You expected much, but 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.’
Reflect on this passage and allow
it to speak to you. I encourage you to read Haggai 1:1-9 in order to gain a
better understanding of the importance of what is happening.
In this passage, the Israelites
had returned from captivity in Babylon (538 B.C.) to rebuild the temple in
Jerusalem. However, they were delayed because of hostile neighbors who
challenged them. Because of this opposition, the work on the temple was left untouched
for over 15 years. Haggai delivered this message to encourage the Israelites
not to give up, but to continue rebuilding.
In our own lives, how often do we
allow the tide of opposition sweep us away from the work God has assigned us in
building up His temple? Today, our “hostile neighbors” may appear as positive
aspects of our lives. Sometimes the things we hold close enough to be called
our neighbors are the very things that hinder us. Who are your neighbors? Good
works, busy-ness, a desire to excel? Perhaps complacency, envy, bitterness, and
the desire for worldly acclaim? Do we work to advance God’s Kingdom on earth,
or do we become passive, overwhelmed by how draining the opposition can be,
distracted from our purpose?
In Haggai’s day, the temple was a
building in which the very Spirit of God dwelt. Now, the Bible says our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1
Cor 6:19), and that we all belong to the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27). Until we connect our actions and
convictions with the purpose for which God called us as children, our deeds and
goals in life will never reach their full potential to bless others and we may
find ourselves feeling empty and unfinished. How is God calling you to rebuild
His temple?
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