“Consider Your Ways”

“The word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, ‘Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.”

“Then… the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people.., ‘I am with you, declares the Lord.’ And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel.., and of Joshua.., and of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.” Haggai 1:3-15

The Jews returning from Babylonian exile started to rebuild God’s temple, but soon gave up to focus on their own resettling. Their immediate gratitude and enthusiastic spiritual priority drifted to selfish attention. Haggai’s message illuminated their slide to neglect of supreme things and pointed out the reason for their lack of satisfaction. Putting self before the Lord never renews the heart nor nourishes the soul, but actually leaves us feeling empty and wasted.

Consider your ways. What self-appointed or -directed activities occupy our time and energy, occupying our best efforts? Do we find ourselves spent, empty, purposeless, unfulfilled? If we paused to assess, in light of God’s word, what might He illuminate about misplaced motives? Fruitless desires? Spiritual apathy? Meaningless occupations? It takes wisdom and faith to build for Him first, and in heaven’s economy, as He is trusted and exalted, we are enriched and fulfilled. (Haggai 2:4-9)

Looking to the fresh start of a new year, when will we set aside time to consider our ways with the Lord, and commit to tending the structure of our relationship with Him? What will we invest to make it glorious? How will we build greater intimacy with Him, and more focused expression of His love? How will we practically put Him first in will and duty so He is magnified and our satisfaction in Him feeds us for all He appoints?

Lord, stir my spirit to be wise and willing to consider my ways regularly, and to align every priority with Your presence and glory.