Build Home

I am in another book that I haven't paid nearly enough attention to over the years.  I think the Lord put it in front of me for such a time as this. Haggai was a prophet during King Darius's reign. I love the time stamps He puts in his writing. It's very comforting that the Lord can speak so much in a short time.  I have been longing to hear the Lord speak like this.  I think the book of Haggai speaks to something that is very prevalent in our church culture today.
The Israelites had a remnant that returned from exile to Jerusalem. They returned and started to rebuild the temple, the place that held the presence of the Lord. However, they received some opposition from the Samaritans.  The Israelites bought into the fear and decided that this meant that the Lord wasn't ready for them to build his house.  So, they, instead started building their economy and their own homes. This wasn't a terrible thing on its own, but they forgot to go back and build the Lord's house, effectively missing out on the presence of God in their lives. Their focus was definitely in the wrong place. So, the Lord came to Haggai and asked him to speak to the government, the priest, and the people. The Lord asked them why they had left His house in ruins while they lived comfortably in their own (Haggai 1:3). They had sacrificed His presence for their comfort. What they didn't see was that they weren't living in abundance because of their actions. So, the Lord asked them to "Think carefully, or Consider" their ways. He says this several times in the two chapters of Haggai, asking them to give pause and see where they should turn their hearts and focus back to Him.  He is SO gracious!
Once the governor, the priest, and the people realized their ways, they stopped, repented and turned back to the Father.  I love it when we see reconciliation of relationship in the scripture! The Lord says over and over (1:13, 2:4) that He is with them and that he has chosen them (2:23). He wants them to be with Him every day. It wasn't about the building, it was about wanting them to have fervent hearts for Him. Our hearts are so prone to wander! We just get so wrapped up in our own little world.  Trust me, I have been there many times. There is nothing like a moment in time where the Lord calls you to be still and re-focus!  This book just shows us that he is so desperate to be with us and have relationship with us.  He made it even easier for us through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but we still have to Build Home in our lives for Him (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Consider our ways, return to the Lord with repentant hearts. All for His glory!