Haggai-First Things First

     My take on Haggai is the Lord confronting His kids about misplaced priorities.

     Listen to what He says in chapter 1:2-13(NLT):“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.”’Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai:’Why are you living in luxurious houses while My house lies in ruins?’ This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: ‘Look at what’s happening to you! 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.’Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: ‘I am with you, says the lord!’”

     We use a tool from Larry Crabb’s Soul Care called, “The Hidden Story (Joy & Pain; Life & Death: Maneuvering)”

     The idea is we’ve all experienced moments of pain and pleasure, and we’ve been shaped by these events. He defines soul death as the experience we must, above all else and at any cost, avoid. Soul life is the treasure we must, above all else, and at any cost, gain.

     We maneuver through life to experience the life and avoid the death. He says,“What happens is that our ‘life’ and the avoidance of death becomes a ‘second things pursuit.’ If we’re not honest with ourselves, most of the time we really do want something more than God. Second things desires feel more compelling than first thing desires. The minute second things become first, they become idols.”

     I’m thinking of Matthew 6:33(NLT),“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need,”and John 12:24-25 MSG,“Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.

     C.S. Lewis puts it this way,”Put first things first and second things are thrown in. Put second things first and you lose both first and second things.”

    I wonder…how many of us have put second things first? For some of us, myself included, second things are competing for first place right now. What if we allow God to examine our hearts and show us where those things are? Sound scary? Yep it does, but look at the last verse when the people obey. God is with them. God help us to trust You.