SCRIPTURE: Haggai 1
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but 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.” This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. [Haggai 1:5-7]
The Lord is challenging His peoples’ priorities.
They are putting themselves and their ‘kingdoms’ before Him and His kingdom.
They are building their own lives, without God at the center.
They are seeking more and more and more, apart from Him, and not being satisfied.
And He is challenging them to think very carefully about their lives.
“Give careful thought to your ways. [Haggai 1:7]

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” [Matthew 7:24-27]
If we pursue life without the Lord, apart from His will, our lives will crash.
If we seek first our own happiness and blessing, we will never find it.
If we prioritize our own ‘kingdoms’ instead of the Lord’s, our kingdoms will collapse.
Life cannot satisfy us apart from God.
It is foolishness to try to make it in this world without Him.
“Give careful thought to your ways. [Haggai 1:7]

This is not a message about investing in the building of the church, or of getting involves in a church ministry.
This is about putting God and His will first, about reorienting our whole life around what matters to God.
Happiness is not found by seeking it, it is found by seeking God.
Look at life today, especially in the west – we have so much, yet are so unsatisfied.
We are consumers – we eat, drink, purchase, consume, but never have enough.
We build our lives on sand, and they fall apart when life gets hard.
“Give careful thought to your ways. [Haggai 1:7]

Haggai’s message is as much for today as it is for his time.
And yet how many of us are so consumed by life in this world, that we can’t hear it?
Maybe we should spend time today thinking about our priorities, about how and where we are spending our time, about whose kingdoms we are busy building…
Maybe we should “give careful thought to your ways. [Haggai 1:7]

PRAYER:
Lord, show me the futility of building my life on anything or anyone but you!