Are You Building the LORD’s House?

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’ Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: ‘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 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 1:2-6
In Haggai chapter one, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies calls us to, “Give careful thought.” In other words he says, “Look at what’s happening to you.” (NLT)
The people had been working hard at planting much, but their crop produced little. Their food, drink, and clothing did not bring satisfaction. They were making wages to provide for themselves, but the money did not go far enough. The very efforts of these people were blown away by the Lord (verse 9).
The LORD was displeased with the priorities of these people. The LORD blew away the rich harvests that the people had hoped to receive, because the house of the LORD was lying in ruins. You see, the temple of the LORD was God’s royal palace and the nation of Israel’s center of worship. The temple is where God’s people worshiped in His presence, but the Israelites chose to give more attention to their own physical needs than to their spiritual needs.
Eighteen years before the message of Haggai, the people of God were called back to their nation to rebuild the temple of God, but due to opposition from neighboring countries, they stopped its rebuilding. They even said, “The time had not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.” In short, they were disobedient, and focused on their own home building, leisure, and luxuries.
The message of Haggai is for our generation also. Remember we too were once in captivity enslaved by sin and have been released by King Jesus. We too are called to be building a spiritual house. The apostle Peter says, “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). Ephesians 2:21 says, “We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.”
What has been distracting you from a intimate relationship with the Father?
What has been taking first place over the spiritual relationship building?
What does it mean to build the Lord’s house?
Prayer: Father, may we truly ponder this book of Haggai and see your call to us. You do send revival when your people turn and obey! Thank you for the picture and the promise. In Jesus Name, Amen
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