Home Improvement
Read Haggai 1:1–2:23
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3. The Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai:
4. “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?
5. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!
6. You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
7. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!
8. Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord.
9. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord.” Haggai 1:3-9
Jake has a long list of unfinished projects. There’s a hole in the stairwell wall still waiting for a patch, a bare window in the bedroom still awaiting curtains, and a tight pair of pants still waiting for his diet to get underway. But these things will have to wait. He’s got more important things to do than patch walls, put up curtains, and improve his eating habits. These unfinished projects will have to wait.
That’s what the people of Judah are saying about the Temple, which is badly in need of repair. It is their highest priority, but they’ve got their minds on their own home improvements. In this reading, Haggai prophesies to them about reprioritizing the items on their to-do list.
The focal point of Judah’s relationship with God, the Temple, lay in ruins. Instead of rebuilding it, the people had put their energies into beautifying their own homes. But the harder the people worked for themselves, the less they had. The harvests kept getting smaller. Their income never quite covered their expenses. Because of a coming drought, they would not even be able to meet their most basic needs. All of this resulted from one cause—neglecting their spiritual priorities (Haggai 1:2-6, 9-11).
If you never have enough, it may be because of a misplaced value. Guard your spiritual priorities. As you parcel out your time, money, and energy, don’t forget the importance of activities and pursuits that matter to God. He will provide for you if you put him first.
