I have NEVER been so grateful for an old year to pass and a new one to begin as I am this year!
And God never ceases to amaze me that no matter how limited my time is, in His Word, that He always meets me here....in my quiet time.
How faithful He is. I truly feel loved by Him. Thank you Heavenly Father for meeting me here again today.
My bookmark in my bible was in the little book of Haggai. Chapter two. I read it backwards today. And asked the Lord again what He wants me to get out of these verses.
I have lamented over the scriptures that God gave me last fall re: our move into our new home and how I believe God's glory would be greater in our new present house than the former and "in this place I will grant peace." Haggai 2:9 But it surely has been anything but peaceful!!!
Let's review it today and go backwards.
Haggai 2:10-14 What am I doing or watching that is defiling this house? My life?
2:15 "Now give careful thought to this from this day on - consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord's temple." Am I working on the Lord's temple or my own? What is the foundation of this home? Have I given this home to the Lord? Yes, Debi and I went praying through each and every room. But what has been the focus before and since?
2:17 "I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord." In the midst of hard times am I turning to my Lord? I will be honest and say that last week was NOT a good week. I was so cold and felt lost. I could've left. I could've sought out distraction from my life. I couldn't pray. I felt God was so far away. All I could do was ask God to help me. He knew where I was. My struggle with surviving all of this.
2:18 "Give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. "From this day on I will bless you."
COME BACK TO THIS ONE
2:3 Ask them, " Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? YES!
2:4 But now Be strong, O Angela, declares the Lord. Be Strong, O Jonathan. Be strong, Friesen family, declares the Lord, and work for I am with you, declares the Lord Almighty.
2:5 And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear."
Haggai 1:2 "This is what the Lord almighty says:" These people say, 'the time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.'" v.4"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
v.5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
v.7 "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that i may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the Lord.
v.8 "You expected much , but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty. " Because of my house, which remains in ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house."
