“Consider your ways.” Do you know where that language is found in the Bible? If you’re struggling to pinpoint it, don’t feel too bad. It’s found in the very small prophetic book of Haggai, in and .
God’s people had put their own houses in order and neglected the house of God. God wanted them to consider their indifference, their misplaced priorities, their poor handling of discouragement and their need to have patience. Maybe we need to do the same thing.
What does consider your ways mean in Haggai?
The book of Haggai opens around 520 BC, about 15 years after a remnant of Jews returned to Jerusalem following the Babylonian captivity. Ezra 3 tells us rebuilding the temple was one of the first things they tried to do. Then they got distracted and stopped working.
God sent Haggai to let them know God wasn’t pleased. In the Lord asks whether it was time for them to live in their paneled houses while His house lay desolate. “Consider your ways! You have sown much, but harvest little.”
There was a drought in the land, with shortages in food and wages. God removed His blessings because they were indifferent towards His work. Jesus had the same problem with the church in Ephesus in : they had left their first love.
Are we passionate about the work of God?
Take evangelism. Many disciples get frustrated when you challenge them to get involved in spreading the gospel. Some will even ask if that is why we hire a preacher.
Then there is restoration. says those who are spiritual should restore anyone caught in a trespass in a spirit of gentleness. Every single year here at South Bumby, we deal with Christians who leave Jesus. Do we just scratch those folks off in our minds and move on, or do we do the things for them that God demands?
In , Peter says we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Am I constantly seeking to grow and become more like Jesus? Or am I satisfied with just showing up to church on Sunday?
We don't need to quit. We don't need to give up. We don't need to throw in the spiritual towel.
A problem of priorities
In the people said the time had not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. Yet they had enough time to fix up their own homes and handle their own affairs.
This is a problem of priorities. It’s about being distracted.
God has given us so many responsibilities: encourage each other, bear one another’s burdens, help the needy, seek the lost, and assemble to stir one another to love and good deeds. Hear me clearly. If we’re not careful, we can become just like the people of Israel in the time of Haggai.
We can become more consumed with our financial houses, the high-paying job and the corporate ladder so we can buy a lot of toys, than with the things of God. There’s nothing wrong with a good job, but we got to be careful.
Young people, there’s nothing wrong with being serious about good grades. In our house, we’re very serious about grades. But you can get so consumed with straight A’s and your SAT or ACT score that you neglect reading your Bible every day.
When you’re discouraged, take courage and keep working
Haggai’s rebuke worked. The people got back to work. But as time went on, the devil started hindering them with discouragement. The temple they were building was going to be absolutely pitiful compared to Solomon’s temple.
You ever been discouraged when it came to something you were doing for the Lord? Maybe someone kept rejecting your invitation to study the Bible. Or maybe you got hit by friendly fire from Christians who treated you ugly when you hadn’t done anything sinful towards them.
In , God wants you to hear four things:
- Take courage. Some translations render it “be strong.”
- Keep working. Stay committed. Stay focused.
- Remember, I’m with you. Jesus promises the same in .
- Better days are coming: “The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former” ().
I’m going to be straight with you. Many scholars are divided on that last verse. Some see the temple reconstructed in the time of King Herod. Others say it’s referring to how Jesus would literally one day step foot in this structure. But the point of it is clear.
We’re not laboring in vain. The Lord sees everything that we do, and He has better things waiting for us in eternity.
God will make things better in His time
Do you struggle with having patience? I do. That’s why I don’t go to Walmart. And I don’t go to Publix. And I hate the traffic here in Orlando.
In , the people were working, but things were not getting better as fast as they thought they would. God reminded them they were suffering because of their own sins and their neglect of His work. Then He urged patience: “Yet from this day on I will bless you.”
Maybe we’re not growing as quick as we would like, or some trial won’t go away. We don’t need to quit. We don’t need to throw in the spiritual towel. We need to pray, trust God, keep working and be holy, and know that God’s going to make things better in His time.
If you need to make a change today, watch the whole sermon or plan your first visit with us in Orlando so we can pray with you.