3 Then the Lord’s word came through Haggai the prophet:
4 Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses
while this house lies in ruins?
5 So now, this is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
Take your ways to heart.
6 You have sown much, but it has brought little.
You eat, but there’s not enough to satisfy.
You drink, but not enough to get drunk.
There is clothing, but not enough to keep warm.
Anyone earning wages puts those wages into a bag with holes.
7 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
Take your ways to heart.
Reflection
Most of us, even preachers, spend very little time with the prophet Haggai. So you wouldn’t be blamed if you need a little orientation to what’s happening in this passage. Haggai was a prophet who ministered in Jerusalem in the 6th century BC. At that time, the leaders and nobility of Judah returned to Israel’s capital after enduring several decades of exile in Babylon. They were able to come back after Babylon fell to the ascendant Persian Empire under Cyrus.
When they returned, they found a city and a Temple in ruins. The Babylonians had utterly destroyed the gates and walls of the city, along with the grand temple built by Solomon. But as rebuilding took place, it seems certain pieces were neglected. Folks got distracted.
Haggai brought a word to the people: “you’re so focused on taking care of yourselves that you’re forgetting God.” Of course, people have a responsibility to provide for the basic needs of their families as a matter of first priority. But with the language of “paneled houses,” it’s clear that Haggai is criticizing those who have set about building mansions, while Israel’s place of worship remained an unusable dump.
It’s easy to neglect our own spiritual growth while we pursue advancement and success. It’s easy to let worship, prayer, and scripture reading fall by the wayside. “I’m too busy,” we think. “I’ll get back to it when things calm down.”
But what if it’s the spiritual centeredness that actually enables us to find success in all the other areas of our lives? What if our relationship with God is actually the thing that sets the stage for us to have good relationships with our family and friends, to have the patience and hope to endure every other struggle we face?
“Take your ways to heart,” Haggai says. Millenia later, the prophet’s words still challenge us to consider the outcome of the way we’re living. Don’t lose sight of what’s important!
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering and Prayer
How can you create space in your day – even if it’s just 5 or 10 minutes – to regularly spend focused time with God?
Prayer: God, help us to focus on your presence in our lives. Remind us that our relationship with you isn’t something “extra” we do, but rather something that’s primary. Help us to “take our ways to heart,” that we might stay focused on you. Amen.
