Your Ways

Haggai 1:7 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.”

 What lessons can we take from a people who have suffered so much trial? For those who have failed miserably and have seen the salvation of God and rejoiced, the message is clear. The Lord has not left His people in question, He has made His commandments clear and instructed them in the way they should go. 

 As I ponder the priorities of God over Israel, I am reminded of what is important to the Lord and what can wait. For a person to understand priorities in life, they need only look to the One who establishes their ways and leads them in paths of righteousness for His names sake.

 The path of life is set for the believer, Christ has established His people and they are commanded now to follow. It is far too easy to be lead astray, people are far too quick to forget, and the cares of life can seem to overwhelm and distract God’s people from what is important.

 The details of God’s intervention can be seen throughout history.

Haggai 1:6 “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.”

 The indictment against Israel was an indictment that we should heed today. The Lord was reminding them of all the effort they had placed into striving for prosperity and yet their efforts had produced very little. What they had was never enough. They ate but were never filled, they produced clothing but were never warm enough, and their wages seemed to drain through a bag made of holes.

  Why were these people not prosperous? 

  It sounds like they had been diligent to do the work, they certainly weren’t lazy. They needed food, and clothes, and income to survive, but why was God not pleased with them?

 Could it have been their priorities were misaligned so their work was not profitable?

Haggai 1:9 “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.”

 Unless the Lord had been established among the people, their efforts for personal gain were in vain. The building of God’s house was a declaration of who had reestablished the nation. Israel had returned from captivity because she had transgressed God’s laws and practiced idolatry. She had left her first love and chose to pollute the people with false images and idols made with hands. The Lord had sent them away and now He had brought them back, it was critical for them to reestablish a reminder of who it was who reigned over them.

The Lord strong and mighty.

A Forgetful People

How quickly people are to forget God’s promises. They cry and mourn over loss of freedom because of their iniquities, but once the Lord sets them free they forget once again. The reminder of their unfaithfulness can be harsh, but it is loving.

Haggai 1:10-11 “Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”

As the people acted unfaithfully, the Lord withheld His blessing. Mankind strives and works to succeed but if the Lord does not approve, the work comes to nothing.

Why is it so easy to forget?

The cares of life consume the fearful heart, the desires of the flesh overwhelm, and the work that is before us beckons us to pursue. If the ways of the Lord are established and made perfect, then wisdom tells us that to pursue His ways are the ideal.

How foolish we can be, the need for reminders seems to be constant. The lack of God’s blessing caused Zerubbabel and Joshua to stop and realign their priorities.

Haggai 1:12 “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.”

The mark of faithfulness is obedience.

The Lord brings reminders of His Sovereignty and the people then fear God once again.

How has the Lord reminded you? Do you strive after riches and building your kingdom, only to find the striving to be unfruitful? Could it be the Lord has withheld His blessing because you have forgotten to place Him at the forefront of your life?

The Lord draws near a people who draw near to Him.

Haggai 1:13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’s message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.”

The first step is repentance, the second step is obedience. Whatever the Lord had commanded, that is what He expects. We must not mistaken His love for general acceptance. He will not accept us going our own way. For those who have tried they have seen where those roads lead. When a rebellious people choose to go alone, they place themselves on the throne.

The people heard the voice of the Lord, they stopped striving after their own ambitions and immediately began to be faithful.

Haggai 1:14 “And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God”

What stirring is God doing in you?

To be stirred is the Hebrew word ‘Ur’, essentially it means to be awakened or aroused.

If the Lord wants to wake up a people who have fallen asleep on the job or evoke some kind of a response, He must get their attention. He may place a barrier in the way of our ambitions or He might make the way difficult. The more people strive to work apart from God’s leading, the more the work becomes harsh, unprofitable, and fruitless.

Have you ever stopped to think that God might be trying to get through to you?

Has the Lord removed His blessings from your striving? If so, you will be holding a bag full of holes. You will look into it but nothing will remain. All you will be left with is false promises and wasted effort. You will lose precious time, resources, and even broken relationships as a result of your striving.

If you will only stop and honor the Lord first, you will see His reward.

Haggai 2:4 “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.”

As you place the Lord first, you will find He will be there in your work. You need not fear for He is your protector. Your strength is renewed, your joy is made complete, and you will find peace once again.

Haggai 2:9 “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.’”

What constitutes a successful endeavor? Is it riches, long life, or just gaining more so that your life might be satisfied?

You will never find satisfaction this way. The ways of man are short and limited, the ways of God are vast and without limit. If you want your way to be blessed, be sure to honor the Lord first. Seek Him…seek His approval in all that you put your hands to do and you will surely see His goodness over your work.