Haggai 1:3-8
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 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."
This is what the LORD Almighty says: "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.
On Saturday, a call went out to the church members to contribute to support the house of God. My heart really went out as I sat in the service and was bowled over the sum of money needed. Simply because I was stunned by the monthly amount needed. My own church had the luxury of owning our own land and did not have such a huge financial strain.
In the natural, when the church has financial obligations, many would shy away from looking it in the eyes and digging deep into our pockets to support the cause. Especially since we can provide lots of reasons why we need the money ourselves. It does not help that sometimes there does not seem to be much light in the end of the tunnel and we may well wonder if the monetary obligations were perpetuate because we aren’t sure if this call for contribution is going to be a permanent solution.
The economy has picked up over the past twelve months. I recall the gloomy times of 2008 where it seemed that everything was destined to crash and companies were just slashing anything to limit their costs. Today, we now have a situation of booming house prices. Even the stock market, though moving laterally with the occasional poor economic news, is experiencing an upward trend.
The news reminds us again that the current economic momentum is still fraught with uncertainty. We may think that we do not have sufficient money to pledge to build the house of God. However, it does seem certain that many working adults are still investing in the hot property market and trying to pick up a good bargain for future capital appreciation. Similiar for the young, even though they don't seem to have much money, however there's always money readily available for a coffee, dessert or nice dinner on the weekends. Money that can be sacrificed to build the house of God for this season.
As I stay and witness the call to give, I am reminded of the fact that God's purposes shall prevail. As the senior pastor pointed out, even if individuals withhold their finances from God, there will be avenues opened to serve the purposes of God.
Today may we remember that all we have is not ours but what is awarded to us to manage. As a demonstration of good stewardship, I pray many will heed the call, as the Jews did in the time of Haggai.
The house of God shall be built because God deserves a house worthy of His name.
M.
Should you not fear me?" declares the LORD. "Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. (Jeremiah 5:22)
