Back to Haggai for a visit...at just the right time

 

It has happened to me before.  I have attempted something worthy of effort but then some opposition arose that caused me to abandon the worthy task.  I put down my tools or use them for something else (usually something more of a selfish manner) and walk away.  The longer I am away from the task the easier it gets to live with this being just the way it is.  I could make excuses why I put my tools down.  It was someone else's fault.  It wasn't the right time.  It doesn't matter much anymore.  I do some verbal and mental gymnastics to justify my inactivity.

Then something or someone brings up the need to accomplish what was started worthy of effort.  It is so persistent that I finally pick up my tools again and start again on the task that is worthy of effort.  I am making progress with this new encouragement to press on but another opposition arises that could halt the process.  But, this time I do not.  Why?  

It is usually because something or someone has stepped in at just the right time to keep my mind focused on the right thing just prior to the opposition coming.  What a God-send for that to happen to me so that I will be able to experience the blessings of God bestowed on those who are faithful.

This is the story of Haggai.  

The Israelites have put down their tools for 16 years.  16 years earlier they started the temple of God building project but opposition arose and they laid down their tools because they were listening to what "they say" rather than what "the LORD of hosts" says.  They justified it and they started concentrating on their own houses rather than the House of the Lord.  

Haggai, a prophet of "the LORD of hosts," enters with a 24 day message that jars the leaders to once again listen and obey "the LORD of host" rather than what "they say."  After the leaders pick up their tools and head back to the work site, so to do the remnant that came back to Jerusalem from the exile in Babylon.  

27 days into the re-start of this task worthy of effort Haggai gives a timely word from "the LORD of hosts" to them.  Another opposition is coming and they could do as they had done 16 years before and lay down their tools but Haggai speaks specifically to the older ones in the crowd.  He speaks to those who not only saw the first temple, Solomon's temple, in all its splendor but also to the ones who had seen God work in the past and also experienced His Spirit's presence.  This subgroup (the weepers) was key to the whole group (weeper and woohoo-ers) going forward with the task worthy of effort.  They needed to be reminded that there was a greater glory coming to keep their focus on.  The greater glory was the coming of the Messiah who would become the sanctuary.  Opposition came but the Israelites did not put down their tools this time.

It is so true that a task worthy of effort needs a focal point that is well beyond what we see.  The completion of it needs to be pointing to something, rather Someone, greater coming.  When we lose sight of the One who is coming, we are prone to put down our tools.  We focus on ourselves and our mission changes to what we see rather that what is to be seen someday.  

All this to say that I am thankful for those that God puts in my path to keep my eyes focused on the right thing while keeping my tools working on the task in front of me that is worthy of the effort.

Adam