Haggai 1:8
Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord.
When I reflect on the call many of us have received to stillness so that we may draw closer in relationship to God, I hear a similar tone as the call to rebuild the Lord’s House in the book of Haggai.
In fact, I believe the voice of the Lord that many of God’s children are hearing currently is the same voice of God that spoke then. For after God had called for the people to consider their ways, he then called for the rebuilding of the house of the Lord so that he may once again dwell among his children.
Haggai 1:5-6
Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways.
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
When I look at the massive consumption that occurs in the world amidst the backdrop of chronic poverty and lack, these words ring true today as they were then. And sadly, the same exists for many who claim family within the body of Christ and to be children of God. Houses of worship operated food banks and charities to serve their own members has become a standard across churches and houses of God across the world.
For we consume much but hold little. Governments and charities spend billions to fund social services initiatives yet poverty and lack continues.
I believe that God’s questioning of the people if it was time for them to dwell in their ceiled houses and consider their ways echo’s the continuing period of quarantine and limited mobility that has occurred in response to the COVD-19 pandemic.
Haggai 1:4
Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste?
As the world has clamored to respond to the global health pandemic to save economies and industries it became very clear that though there are many church buildings and house of worship complexes that have been constructed, the faith among the people of God had gone to waste.
For during a time when only faith could restore hope, lift spirits, and help those mourning; the sharing of the word of the lord went dormant within many. In fact, what was revealed, is that the word of the Lord had been dormant.
Sharing of the word of God and faith in God had been replaced by faith in offerings, faith in church fashion and faith in churched based social activities.
And as God is a loving Father, in whom none are ever permanently turned away, God has been pouring out his Grace in calling his children to consider our ways of living. To reexamine our toiling and overconsumption. To evaluate our dependencies on man created systems and institutions of supply to reestablish our relationship with him.
He is calling each of his children and those that believe to rebuild the house of the lord within “To go up to the mountain and bring wood and build”.
God is calling us to accept his invitation to rise in our thinking and living so that we may rebuild our relationship with him so that he may once again abide with us and within us. God is calling us to draw down from his store houses for supply. Not only material and financial supply, Our Faith in God supply.
For we have seen and experienced what dependency on the world’s supply chain brings us.
Not enough.
Not enough hope. Not enough love. Not enough opportunity.
As a result, God has decided that enough is enough. As I shared in the opening letter of this Blog, “God is done playing”.
God is done playing with the world about his creations, his value, and his anointing. And he is done watching his children toil and suffer playing the worlds game of survival.
As I shared last week, he is calling his children to step out of the pre-existing conditions of this world and step forward into the Pre-existing Glory of God.
He is calling us to rebuild the house of the lord within. For through salvation made available to all through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God made a pathway for all to take up residency within the house of the Lord. We no longer have to go into a temple to have visitation with God, God has given us direct access to him and his house through our temple within.
And at this particular hour, God is calling us to rebuild and reestablish the house of the lord within our spirits and souls so that he may yet again become our supply and source.
I encourage you, while I know these are busy and challenging times for many and most, take time with the Lord to rebuild and reestablish. Accept God’s invitation to go up to the mountain and take wood to build a habitation for God within yourself.
I know from my own journey, it will bless you. It will bring peace in a troubled world. It will bring joy while surrounded by sadness. It will bring courage during fearful times.
Make room for God’s love, shelter, security and grace and he will shower down his goodness in and through you as he first intended.
Know that in rebuilding the house of the Lord within:
Your life will be what you create.
Your life will bring what you desire.
Your life shall be full of love and light. And;
Your life shall continue long after you have gone from this place.