Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Houses

I will attempt to actually make this post short, I promise. :-)

I was reading Haggai, and something jumped out at me. Haggai gave this prophecy in the second year of king Darius. Now, I'm no theologian, nor a Biblical historian, but it appears to me that the Judeans had, at this point, been allowed to return home. (If I'm wrong, feel free to go ahead and correct me.) And, apparently, some of the people had been saying that "'the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.'" God responds.

"Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house." (Haggai 1:4-9, emphasis mine)

Now, you're probably not being faced with the dilemma of building a temple (although I suppose it's possible....) But the issue here is the heart. The people are more interested in their own comfort and leisure than they are in glorifying God. So, here's the question: what's your house? What is it that you put before God? For me, quite often, it's my time. I wake up and, rather than having my devotions, I loaf around until I have to start school. I don't know what your house is. Whatever it is, though, confess it, repent, and, with the Cross, not a set of morals made by men in mind, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

6 comments:

Dave said...

Great post, I can totally relate. Just remember, to steal from Amy C, the God of the universe who made you and everyone around and has talked to William Wilberforce and Abe Lincoln and Moses, now wants to talk to YOU and LOVES you. If that aint incentive i don't know what is.

one way up cast said...

Ditto what Dave said.

Samuel said...

great post Elizabeth
I know that it has nothing to do with the topic but just to blow you away with the vastness and the power of God think about eternity. God goes on for Infinity years before us which is impressive in itself but our universe would never exist because time would never get to us but even though it is impossible to ever get to us through time here we are and God is here with us. Gods infinity and our existence are contradictory to everything that we(humans) know to be true he simply defies explanation. sorry if I confuse anyone with this post.

Jenna said...

Sam - I'm confused at what you said, but i'm just a dumb blonde at heart, so it prolly makes sense to someone else. :)

Elizabeth - that was a great post! I often find myself in the place where i'm putting myself before God. But when i do find myself in that place, as the song When the Saints by Sara Groves sais, "I see the man of sorrows and his long troubled road. I see the world on his shoulders and my easy load. And when the Saints go marching in,
I want to be one of them."

I hope that makes sense :]

- Jenna

Elizabeth Kelley said...

Yeah, Jenna that made sense. :-)

Elizabeth Kelley said...

Haha, David, I Love how, on one of my posts, you jump right to Wilberforce. :-) (In case anyone somehow missed this, I'm a HUGE Wilberforce fan.)