Haggai 1:6-11 BSB “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 never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”
7 This is what the Lord of Hosts says: “Consider carefully your ways.
8 Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified, says the Lord.
9 You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the Lord of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.
10 Therefore, on account of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth has withheld its crops.
11 I have summoned a drought on the fields and on the mountains, on the grain, new wine, and oil, and on whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all the labor of your hands.”
We may feel we are living paycheck to paycheck, barely surviving, although it appears we should be plentiful, but still, there is no fulfillment. As verse six states, we have planted much but harvested less than what we expect. What is the problem?
Verse 8 tells us to go up the hill and get lumber. Go up the hill and pick up the Cross! For our purposes, we must look at the temple which is first us and not the building. Scripture says His House is in ruin. It means we have unresolved issues in our hearts, and until these are resolved, there will be continued gaps and breaches within the walls of Jerusalem, and the enemy will continue to invade and steal your blessings. The Lord sends the drought to make the labor of your hands difficult to awaken you!
Additional Comments:
If you are a couple, and all you do is fight and argue, constantly and consistently, are you not a temple in ruin?
If you live in anxiety, insecurity, or fear, are you not a temple in ruin?
If you live with guilt, regrets, and unforgiven abuse or trauma, are you not a temple in ruin?
Senior Pastor Steve Kim