GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT TO YOUR WAYS…The Hebrew figure of speech for this phrase is literally “put your heart on your roads.” God has designated the sixth month of Elul, beginning at sunset August 17 and continuing to sunset September 16 on our 2023 Gregorian calendar, as the month for "soul searching" and turning back to Him. Indeed, the Hebrew word for this month, "Elul" means to search out deeply, as in the heart.

There have been thousands of Eluls on God’s calendar, adding up to thousands of chances to get it right. 2600 years ago, on the first day of God's 6th month, He sent Haggai to people, just like us, who were really good at saying God should be first, but poor in actually making Him a true priority in their lives.

“In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,  governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’” Haggai 1:1-2

We should already have a handle on the very first problem we have run into for thousands of years. Notice that God's chosen people didn’t say they weren’t going to rebuild the Jerusalem temple; they just seem to be saying “Not yet.” They placed their personal economic needs and concern for their safety and security as their first priority.

“Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai, ‘Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?’” Haggai 1:3

We should carefully consider this scripture. Life is always in God's timing, like it or not. He appoints it impeccably and knows exactly what needs to happen and when. He has His priorities straight. We, on the other hand, need a hard lesson about putting Him first, and ourselves last.

"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.’” Haggai 1: 5-6

The word-picture created by the Lord Almighty in these verses is NOT a pretty one. We can do a whole lot of work as Christians, but never accomplish one single eternal thing. And we can consume a lot of knowledge along our well-traveled roads of seminars and causes. But the truth is Christian works and ministries, as well as our pride, can become a bottomless pit of excuses to serve and glorify ourselves.

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘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. ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.’” Haggai 1:7-11

“Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.” Haggai 1:13-15

The recently returned exiles of Judah faced hardship in their rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem,  and struggled to remain faithful through many challenges and so much loss. In the next verses, Haggai assured the people that their faithful efforts would be blessed. Not only would the Lord Almighty return, He would fill His house with glory greater than anything they had ever known. And He would bring lasting peace.

“‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Haggai 2:4-9

In God’s perfect timing, His specially anointed Day of Trumpets is appointed to occur on the first day of the following 7th month, September 16 on our Gregorian calendar, just weeks away. Unique among all God’s Holy Days appointed in Leviticus, the Day of Trumpets is celebrated by long blasts of the trumpet. We Christians should immediately recognize this trumpet heralds the possible second return of Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever!'" Revelation 11:15

GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT TO YOUR WAYS… (PUT YOUR HEART ON YOUR ROADS)