Looking for much, receiving little
Haggai 1
Have you taken a virtual tour of the 2023 HGTV giveaway home? It’s a stunning house located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. HGTV incorporates the latest smart designs, colors, and open space concepts into a house that will be given away through an online submission process. People from all walks of life take a chance at winning the house of their dreams. Even I have entered my name into the drawings a time or two. Like the dreamer that I am, I imagined myself living in the new location. I submerge myself in thoughts like, would I sell my existing home or keep it. Would it be a vacation home or a permanent one.
Like a child on Christmas Day, I hoped that my HGTV-Santa would grant me a nearly impossible 675,000 to 1 opportunity to win. How quickly the click of my mouse unleashed dopamines that gave me overwhelming feelings of excitement.
The pursuit of a nearly impossible gain led me down a path to uncontrollable daydreams. It was a moment of escapism that contained no real substance toward enhancing my life. It was simply a mega stimulation of my brain for a party of one. In Haggai 1, we find a similar example of self-interest embedded in a Godless invitation. It tells about the exiles of Judah that had been allowed to return back home from captivity in Babylon to Jerusalem. God gave them specific instructions to rebuild His Temple, but they partially did the work by only laying the foundation. They spent their time building their own dream homes. Seeing that they wanted much and had given little, God sent Haggai to speak to them. “Is it time for you to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? Now thus says the Lord of hosts: Reflect on your experience! You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; You have drunk, but have not become intoxicated; you have clothed yourselves, but have not been warmed; And the hired worker labors for a bag full of holes. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Reflect on your experience!” Haggai 1:4-7.
It’s funny that whenever we think God can’t see us, He reminds us that He does. He saw that their dreams of owning a home did not include His dream of rebuilding His house. So, God exposed their intent in order to redirect them back to Him. He wanted to root out the undesirable cultural behaviors, self-interest, habitual practices, generational sins, greed, and individual sin. If they would listen and obey, this would nudge them back into kingdom building mode.
Haggai’s story of the people’s stinginess and neglect led me to reflect over my own life of when I expected much, and gave little. I thought about times when I had sown my time, talents, friendship, money, and efforts. I asked myself, was sin involved when lack was received or was this the basic circumstances of the situation?
In itself, lack isn’t a bad thing. God did not promise us that life would always be filled with riches and ease. But, if you look back over your life with Holy-lenses, and you determine that sin was at the root of your troubles, then there’s a great need to have a cometo-Jesus conversation. We can’t hide from God. He sees our heart and he know what we dream about. The Bible says that His words can penetrate as far as the division of our soul and spirit and He is able to judge the intentions and thoughts of our hearts. So, I encourage you to consider your ways. Make a list. Record sins and areas of lack that come to mind. Examine whether they were related to lifestyles, bad behaviors, disobedience, inappropriate relationships or whatever the Spirit reveals to you. When I did this, within minutes I saw things I hadn’t seen before. My eyes were opened to a hidden closet of junk. And, with a swat on my back side, God led me to a quote on the internet that said “a little disobedience is still disobedience.”
Sinful patterns can run deep and spill over into our home, church, and work. But, praise the Lord that we have a loving Father that will privately take us to the wood shed for corrections. Proverbs 3:11-12 says, “But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this ? MSG.” If God disciplines you, remember that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. He is more than able to forgive and cleanse your heart. Trust God. Listen and obey His directions, because He can do far more than you would ever ask or dream. Additional Scriptures: “Lord, you have searched me and known me” ? Psalm 139:1.
“For He looks to the ends of the earth; He sees everything under the heavens” ? Job 28:24.
“For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” ? Hebrews 4:12 Reflect on your experiences:
Where have you invested much in Godless endeavors, but received little? Make a list and pray that you receive deliverance and forgiveness.
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Brenette Wilder, formerly of Altheimer, Ark., is a blogger at wordstoinspire105953116.wordpress.com and author of Netted Together, https://nettedtogether.org.
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Writers should have connections to Southeast Arkansas. Please include your name, phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry.