The Time Is Now

This week at Life.Church we began a new series on a study of the book of Haggai. I absolutely loved it with all of my heart and could not wait to jump back on this space of mine to share with y'all. I might be a little partial but my pastor Craig Groeschel brings it every week but this week he was really right on point, thanks God for that timing!

The Hard Right... 

Craig started the message out with a little background on Haggai. In 587 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar and his army crushed the Southern kingdom of Judah destroying the temple. The Jews were then taken into captivity for decades. Then in 538 BC, about 50,000 people were allowed to travel back to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, to rebuild the temple. However these people said the time wasn't right. This is what our Lord says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord's house." Haggai 1:2 I mean excuse me?! These people just decided that it wasn't the right time for them despite it being the Lord's house and isn't it about his timing not "these people's"? These were my first thoughts then the more I thought about it my thoughts turned into...this is exactly how I can be. I am one of "these people". I really must realize that it's not about my timing its about God's.

"Choose the hard right over the easy wrong." This is definitely a statement that is weighing heavy on my mind and heart this week. As soon as Craig said it I thought I knew exactly what it meant for my life then the more I thought about it I'm afraid I am interrupting it wrongly. I'm praying for specific clarification from God. I find this happens more often than not...God can I please just get a flowchart of some sort?! Wouldn't that be wonderful? 

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" Now this is what the Lord says "Give careful thought to your ways." Haggai 1:3-5 (apparently a paneled house is a very expensive, the best of the best of houses then.)

Are you putting your own comfort ahead of his calling? I know personally I can think of specific situations where I felt the nudge from God to take a lead in an area of my own life and I chalk it up to be nerves and have decided "It just isn't the right time". When I know God is calling me and I'm letting the phone ring and ring...hoping it goes to voicemail or maybe he'll just send a text. (Maybe the text will include the flowchart!) I'm not talking about a call to be a full time missionary in a third world country. God has reassured me that I just will go on trips but I'm not to go full time. Man, it's like he knows me or something...as if I won't survive. All jokes aside...

Obedience is my responsibility and the outcome is God's. Do you feel like you are suppose to reach 

out to someone that hurt you? But what if they hurt you again? You are not responsible for the outcome just the obedience. I have no idea what the blessings of God are or how amazing they will be on the other side of obedience but I'm ready to find out! 

"You have planted much, but 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." Haggai 1:6

Did you just get a raise or pay off a large amount of debt but yet you still feel like you don't have enough? What about switching out our summer wardrobes for our winter ones? I mean, we have enough clothes to SWITCH out our wardrobes but yet we don't have enough...hits home for me. Maybe I'm not receiving my flowchart because God is wanting to send me a blank spreadsheet with the single word contentment on it instead. 

Are you consumed with yourself instead of with God? "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored." says the Lord. Haggai 1:7-8

The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing. Are you putting your house above God's house? I know God told me to choose the hard right over the easy wrong on Sunday and the time is now. So, this week I am praying no longer for that flowchart but for unfinished business in my life and that I will honor God and his timing rather than my own understanding...the hard right.

I'm telling y'all this was a great message and if you are interested in listening you can find it here at Life.Church. Please let me know if there is a way I can pray for you, shoot me an email or leave a comment.