I have been camped out in Haggai thanks to Lysa TurKeurst. She stirred up a hunger when she shared verses 4 through 8, from Chapter One:
“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
My immediate thought is that I have spent my life helping to encourage others. My husband, my children, my friends. The truth is, encouraging others (for me) is very selfish. It makes me feel good. God made me an encourager. It fills my cup, energizes me, brings me unspeakable joy to speak life and truth into someone else's life. But I took something good and used it as the very thing that can keep me from all that God has for me. You see, my house (health) has lain in ruin while I am busy encouraging someone else to walk in victory in their area of struggle.
Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 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.”
As I give careful thought to my ways I realize that I can be so focused on helping get "others" to God that I am forgetting to get myself there at times. I love to praise and worship Him. I love to pray for my families needs, the needs of my friends, my homeschool, but I have not invested in the uncomfortableness of rebuilding His holy temple, (My physical body) until recently. Thank you, Lord that you pursued me and got my attention through your Word.
This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways, Mary. 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.
Right now, I am bringing down the timber. My back aches, my shoulders throb, my knees buckle as I consistently add exercise, strong nutrition to my life. I also find myself weary at times as I purposefully retrain my heart to hunger after Jesus, MORE than it hungers after food!
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