Do You Want Fulfillment?

photo by J. P. Robertson- jprobertson.com.au

Do You Want Fulfillment?

Haggai is one of those books that you don’t really hear too much about.  I think the first time I ever opened up to the book of Haggai was about a month or so ago and it was in a Bible study where my leader said the same thing about it, no one really ever talks about it.  But, today was the perfect day to read it.  It’s two chapters and basically all of those two chapters is the Lord is speaking to the Prophet Haggai, telling him what to say to the Jews.  First of all, the title of the first chapter explains it all: “A Call to Build the House of the Lord.”  He says in verse 5 and 6, “Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.  You have planted much, but have harvested little.  You eat, but never have enough.  You drink, but never have your fill.  You put on clothes, but are not warm.  You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”  I’m just dumfounded by this.  The first sentence immediately made me think.  Do I give careful thought to my ways?  In the beginning of the first chapter it gives us an overview of what is happening at this time.  After the Jews returned from captivity in Babylon, they were to go and finish building the House of the Lord.  But they got caught up in worldly affairs and neglected the building of God’s House.  They thought that they would be saving time and money by not building the temple yet, but God brought a poverty upon them in such a way that they were not “filled”.

Now, they didn’t say that they weren’t going to build the temple but, “not right now” (I’m paraphrasing of course).  It’s the same way with us!  Man does not say that they won’t repent and restructure their lives, and follow God, but “not right now”.  I’ll tell you this: I went through a period in my life where I did not want to listen to anything that God was telling me.  I shut Him out completely.  I did my own thing and lived life on my own.   I did what I wanted, used my money how I wanted and said, “I’ll deal with that whole God thing later.”  I worked so hard at shutting Him out that when it came down to measuring up everything I had achieved on my own, there was nothing.  I was empty and alone and had nothing left to offer but my broken heart and body.  I had eaten, “but never had enough”.  But God is sooooo good and faithful that He brings us back to where we should have been to begin with, “building His temple.” 

I don’t know where you’re at right now, but I do know that God is calling us to come and work for Him.  It’s about time we lay down our heavy load and come to Him!  His load is easy and burden is light.  Trust me, I know.  I gave it up to Him and now I’m building His house!  The reward for building His House is much, much more rewarding then we could ever imagine. 

The second chapter of Haggai is phenomenal!  Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better you read, “Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory?  How does it look to you now?  Does it not seem to you like nothing?” (Haggai 2:3) Take a look at your old house, and be proud of what you have been made into.  This was something that I really felt the Lord pressing on my heart.  Many times, I beat myself up about my past and the things I did in my dark times, but the Lord says to remember that old self and what it has been made into.  Remember what He changed us from!  Don’t dwell on the past and all of its heartaches, but rather analyze what we once were (a broken, empty house) and what we are now (the Temple of the Lord Almighty!)  We were running rampant and doing what we wanted, which gave us no fulfillment.  Now, we are a new CREATION and we belong to God!  He has made us into something of greater worth!  Do you get that?  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (1 Corinthians 5:17). 

Once we start working for God and in His house, how could we ever go back to our old, broken house?  There is nothing for us there.  We know there is nothing to gain from this world but the glory of the Lord will reign forever.  I’ll leave you with this: “‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty.  ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” ( Haggai 2:9)