What are you going to do about it?

“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Haggai 1:4

If God has given you a job or a task to do, then He has also provided a way and given you the power to do it; the power within you. Zechariah 4:6

You can’t do it without Him, but if He orders it, not only can you but you should! God Himself goes before you, and He empowers you. His Spirit dwells in you. A good mans steps are ordered by the Lord but how often do we not listen, follow, heed or follow through?

This scripture in Haggai was coming straight from the Lord. He told Haggai, the prophet, to address the people. You see 18 years earlier the Lord had already told the people to rebuild the His house, but they said the time had not yet come. When God tells us something then and gives us a specific word, we must obey and not delay. That’s disobedience. Though often we do, we must learn not to.

Oh but the people didn’t mind building their own houses, going about their own lives and satisfying their own needs while all along the house of the Lord remained in ruins! They neglected their God given duty and often we do too! What is built,  must be maintained. So first off, if the Lord and His house or temple is being neglected, we know things are out of order. It starts at home, yes! BUT where is the temple now? We are His temple! We must not neglect our relationship with Christ, thus neglecting our own lives. He lives and He lives inside of us. It’ll lead to our ruin and ruin us, not only that but our relationship with Him, if we neglect God. This walk requires obedience. We can’t sit around and do nothing while our relationship with Christ lies in ruins/shambles and expect the rest of our lives to thrive. It don’t work that way and won’t! Simple! Here’s what the word says:

“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” Acts 17:24

We must not only acknowledge this but live it out.

And in the beginning God made the heavens and the earth and all that dwell in it. Not only is all “credit” due Him but He also wants to see a life worthy of living it out in action as unto Him. How can we expect to thrive when His temple goes to waste and we neglect building? Meanwhile building our lives but not around Him, while we just go on our own merry way. We want to do good, thrive, be successful (whatever that means in our own eyes) and be what we want to be! We all do, BUT, we must ask ourselves: 1- Does it please Him, the way we are living and go about it and 2- In the long run is it really lasting, does it really matter and are we “really” successful in His eyes? Question #1 determines question #2. It always goes back to Him.

You see we have many…. plans but God has the Master plan. He is the Master builder and UNLESS we put Him first, live as unto Him and build our lives around Him, it/we will not succeed.

There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

You see unless it’s built upon Him, truth and His plans, you simply won’t succeed or be truly successful in His eyes. It’s not by the worlds standards. God’s people in Haggai worked really hard to build a good life for themselves but failed because it wasn’t for Him and they did not obey Him. Period.

It comes down to this: unless the Lord builds and unless you are building for Him, you are going in the wrong direction. His Word cannot lie. He cannot lie.

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. Psalm 127:1

He is not looking for perfection or self centeredness. He is looking for a heart that is perfect toward Him, one that beats for Him. Not a perfect person but a perfect heart. Because a heart drawn to Him will always come back to and “want to” please Him. Like David, full of faults but a man after Gods own heart. He pursued God and truly wanted to please Him. He had aim and action. You can have all the aim you want but without action, you never hit the target. The heart is at the center of it all, the walk and the temple. If the hearts right and He has your heart, He not only has your attention but He will have your obedience.

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.” 2 Corinthians 16:9

They were at war with themselves even though they didn’t know it. The people in Haggai were looking for much harvest and panting but God blew it all away! Why? “Because of His house!!!” (V1:9) They did not listen or obey so for 18 years they just spun their wheels in vain and didn’t go anywhere. I’ve been there! Those who fear The Lord and worship Him, will also obey. They didn’t.

Are you looking for much but coming to little? Has God told you something but you haven’t listened? Has HE given YOU specific instructions but you put them off thinking later. They didn’t say no, they said it’s not time, though that’s not what God said! He will leave you to yourself and let you go your own way if that’s what you want to do though He will try to pursue you. He gives us free will. The Israelites wondered 40 years and God eventually said “ENOUGH”! That it was (high)TIME to stop wondering around that same ole mountain! It’s high time for us to stop wondering too! Stand upright and with purpose pursue! It wasn’t working anymore and a new generation rose up to go in. Don’t let someone else rise up to do what He called you to do!

David knew the importance of the temple! He wanted to build God a house. Back then God dwelled there but now, His Spirit is in you. Where you go, He goes. If we look back in the Old Testament we can read about Davids story. He knew that God was worthy and God honored it, though He chose for David’s son Solomon to build it. David still made GREAT preparations because he knew the importance of the temple and it was in his heart! What are you and I doing to make preparations to build our lives around Him? Are we inviting Him in? Here’s what He doesn’t suggest but instructs His people to do. I believe He would tell us the same thing. It was time! It was not ok for them to build and continue to build upon their own plans and lives while His house lied in ruins. I go back to the question: what are you going to do about it? Here’s what He instructs:

Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!” Haggai 1:5

WE OURSELVES MUST TAKE NOTE! We must carefully consider our own ways and give careful thought to what we are doing and WHY! Look what’s happening to us! Is it working? Consider you’re ways! THEN He can get us/you back on the right path. BUT FIRST, you must and I must consider and acknowledge our own ways, where we are at and why! And I must say so often we point fingers at God when things don’t go our way. Have you obeyed? Is it His will? Have you sought Him and first? If you didn’t do the first thing, you can’t do the next thing. Go back. Retrace what it was He told you to do in the first place and start there.

You can’t do anything else or be successful in Gods eyes, try as you may, UNLESS YOU FIRST OBEY AND CONTINUE TO OBEY.

First things first!

Are you building your lives around Him? Have you declared “as for ME AND MY HOUSE, we are gonna serve the Lord!” First! How is what you’re doing working for you? It might work for a while but it won’t last unless as unto Him. For only He alone is lasting or worthy!

So it’s time to get your house in order. Your life. Your temple. Your surroundings and what you can control, what He has given you dominion, responsibility and authority over! That’s up to nobody but you and I!

Consider your ways. Not your husband, not your children, not your church, not your parents. You! It starts with you and ends. We EACH WILL give an account for how we lived our own lives. I hope it please Him. I want to Hear well done. Even if i messed up, because i repent! He cast our sins as far as East is from West. He doesn’t remember anymore if we give it up.

He give you your life and no one can obey for you or for me. It won’t be but they, it’ll be but you! Yes it matters the company you keep but ultimately it is up to you. Your life is not your own, it belongs to Him and unless we obey, nothing else makes sense. You must surrender your plans to Him. He won’t disappoint. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) But you must not refuse! Or, you’re going your own path and way.

We must do what He told us and then we reap fruit. We must first CONSIDER “our own ways”! Do they align with His?

Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house. Proverbs 24:27

Again, your life is not your own.

Prepare. Prepare your hearts to seek Him. Do what He asked you to do. Plan and prepare but preparation means action, not just hoping. What are you doing to prepare your hearts and what has He asked you to do? When He returns or presents opportunity, will you be ready and prepared before hand? An unprepared heart is not ready to receive. You should be! I should be! Preparers! After that build your house! So, unless you’ve first invited Him in, you are going about it all wrong.

You may be eager to build and adorn your own houses and lives, and fill them and every corner with everything you can for the outside world to see. It won’t fill the inside. You can have all the fancy stuff money will buy, accessories or cars etc…BUT, He must be the main and we must build around Him or all this in vain. Things are perishable and fading fast. He is eternal and after it all goes bad, then what? What are you gonna do? What or who are you gonna turn to? Don’t wait till it’s too late! Whether it be 18 days, months or years, it’s never too late to turn around, UNTIL IT IS. Todays a good day to consider your ways and actually, today is the day of salvation IF YOU CHOOSE. The choice is yours to consider your ways! Today!

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

Don’t just build to fail or hold purses with holes in them. It all goes in just to go out but never enough. You’ll never acquire true wealth if you don’t follow Him. He is. It all comes to nought unless it comes from the heart, done as unto Him or anointed by Him. Turn back to Him.

“Jesus we have strayed so far. God our Father we began to compromise with the world and forgot what it looked like to have true intimacy with You. So we began to blend in and we’re led off by our own ways and lust. We just got further and further away from You until consumed. I know I have in my own life and I see it all around in the world around  me. I want to please You. I want to do what You would have and have called ME TO DO. My true purpose and passion is found in You and in pleasing You. Father God forgive me for not trusting and obeying You or and building my life around you. Perfect obedience is true , Heartfelt pure and full obedience. Almost doesn’t count. I wanted to don’t reach or cut it. And not everyone who calls You “Lord Lord” will enter in. No man having put His hand to the plow and looking back is fit for Your kingdom. Just because our hand is to the plow don’t mean we are working or will finish. We must prepare our hearts and minds to not only seek You but to do. You called us doers, Not just hearers only! And at last the ax is laid to the tree. We must put out faith into action because You expect fruit. What am I doing to be fruitful and bear fruit in my life to keep in line with the repentance and confession that I first made? I made a commitment to serve You and to live my life for and as unto You. Lord I carefully consider my ways! In Your Sons name, Jesus, amen!”

What’s the last thing He told you to do? Have you considered your ways? If He told you to do it then, it is the right time. Don’t say in your heart wait and delay, or pay! Instead of building your own, build His! Don’t stay fruitless and throw it all away. It didn’t work then, it won’t work now. GOD IS the same! His standards and commands! Stop going your own way, It will never suffice and you’ll only want for more. Unless the Lord builds…. We all have a God shaped hole and desire that only He can fill, and yet we try to fill it everywhere else that can’t . He is our one stop shop. He alone can give us what we need and every other good and perfect gift comes straight from Him.

“Build my life” lyrics by Pat Barrett:

Jesus, the Name above every other name

Jesus, the only One who could ever save

Worthy of every breathe we could ever breathe

We live for You,

Oh! We live for for You

Holy, there is no one like You

There is none beside You

Open up my eyes in wonder

Show me who You are and fill me

With Your heart and lead me

In your love to those around me

I will build my life upon Your love

It is a firm foundation

I will put my trust in You alone

And I will not be shaken