Is It Just Lip Service?

A couple of weeks ago my {Lindsey} pastor delivered a poignant and direct message. It was the kind of message that reaches down your throat and rips your heart out. It changes you to the core, convicting you in such a way that to go back to status quo would be not only pointless, but devastating. The message came from two scripture references, the first being Ezra 3 which talks of completion of the foundation of the temple by the people of Israel after its destruction. The second came from Haggai which was a prophetic word to the very same people who then allowed God's house to lay in waste while they pursued other things.

The very first thing that God addresses through Haggai the prophet are the excuses of the people. Haggai verse 2 says this, 

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 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’”

The people had excuses. I feel like even today this is one of the most common excuses we Christians bring to the table. When we don't see how it will work out or the pieces that are ready to fall into place as we say yes, we simply choose to excuse our lack of action by saying it's not God's timing.

The next two paragraphs of Haggai address both the problem and the consequence the people of Israel are facing. 
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"Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 'Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

"This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: 'Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.'”

The people of Israel, and God's people today have been so consumed with building up their own estates that they have allowed the church, God's house, to crumble. The Israelites even went so far as to use the timber that King Cyrus (due to God's influence) had provided for the rebuilding of the Temple. While they had focused on making themselves comfortable--on providing for their families by their own doing, on chasing worldly dreams--God was allowing for nothing in their lives to prosper. This was not Satan's doing, this was God's Holy and Refining Fire allowing His people to come to a place of poverty and drought and desperation so that they might realize that He never intended the things of this world to be satisfying to His people. He alone wants to be our satisfaction. So when we chase worldly dreams, satisfaction will always come up short, just as it did for the people of Israel.

Our God deeply desires to provide for us. This provision more often than not requires a step of faith. We must quit building up our own houses. We must quit worrying about how we will provide for our families if we follow where God is calling. We must trust that when we quit making excuses, lay our needs at the feet of our Heavenly Father, and step out in faith to accomplish what He is calling us to that He will provide in a way that only He can.

The people of Israel took Haggai's words to heart.  They allowed God to prune and remove the dead thoughts and actions that were keeping them from all of His blessings. Have you allowed God to do this in your life lately? Lay your heart out on the road and let God look at it. Let Him convict you on the change that is needed in your life in order to experience the blessings He desires to give to you. When you have heard His conviction in your life, be quick to repent and obey. Fear the Lord and His magnificent power and His enormous amount of grace.

Do not quickly forget the amazing blessing that is the Grace of Jesus. During the timing of this prophetic Word the people had God with them. Today, we have Him living within us. There is no doubt in my mind that where much is given, much will be required. We have been given grace, we have been given the Holy Spirit within us. Simply being stirred is not enough. Move beyond the stirring of emotion and into the stirring of the Spirit. When the Spirit is stirred God's work will be accomplished.