Discouraged? Give Careful Thought to Your Ways and Be Renewed

Have you become distracted and discouraged? Or always looking for more? If you feel like you’re wandering, or like nothing seems to satisfy, then this message is for you.

How are you living? God is calling each of us to a deeper spiritual commitment.

This week we revisit a message from 2017 that is still relevant today. With all the changes that continue to occur around Covid, we must be more diligent than ever to live a more thoughtful life.

When things in life get in the way and draw you away spiritually from the will of God, He will do whatever it takes to bring you close to Him. The Lord saved you for a purpose. Choose to make Jesus a priority today.

I believe the Lord is calling you to give careful thought to our ways and fulfill the call of God on your life. You have exactly what people need. Jesus!

Be one of the few, set apart to the Lord, and ready and willing to ignite a spiritual revival.

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Distracted? Discouraged? Unsatisfied? Focus on God; the changes you need and want in life will come.

God calls us to Get serious Spiritually, Now

I believe the Lord is calling each of us to a deeper spiritual commitment. To a more thoughtful way of life. I sense in my heart the need to get more serious regarding our spiritual lives. It is so easy to get caught up in our own plans or desires or concerns.

Today we learn from Haggai, who was confronting the remnant of Israelites who had a heart to worship God and wanted to see the temple of God rebuilt; but they had become distracted and discouraged.

‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’” 3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” 5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 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.” 7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 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. 9 “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. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 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 1:2-11, NIV).

Have you become distracted and discouraged like the Israelites?

Do any of these sound familiar:

• I still have time; I’ll get back on track next week.

• I’ll get serious about my prayer life tomorrow.

• I’ll start tithing when I have the money to tithe.

• I just need to do this thing first (find a job, finish school, save more money), and then I’ll think about getting back to doing what God wants me to do.

We almost never find the time for God on our own accord. Something almost always gets in the way; that is until God confronts us in some way with needing to make a choice to either turn back to God or simply continue on a road of destruction.

A Passion Forgotten

The prophet Haggai was called by God to address the Jewish exiles; those individuals who had passionately left everything—every comfort—and faced unknown fears to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. But over time, the people had become caught up with their own lives, and they had forgotten and lost sight of why they returned to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple.

The 70 years of captivity in Babylon had ended. Babylon had fallen to the Persian Empire and the Lord had put it on King Cyrus’ heart to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem.

Only a remnant of people returned to fulfill God’s work; only a remnant turned away from the comforts of Babylon and returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and altar, and to once again offer sacrifices to the God of Heaven. Haggai is writing to the people who return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple that God had promised His presence would inhabit. There were millions of Jews living in exile, but less than 50,000 chose to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The others had become accustomed to living in Babylon. They enjoyed the pleasures of Babylon. Most did not feel the need to return to Jerusalem. They did not see the need to rebuild the temple of God. They had become spiritually blind. They had forgotten about God and yet God was opening the door to fulfill His promise and reaffirm his covenant with the Israelites who would worship the Lord with all their hearts.

It is only a small remnant of Jews who exhibited a deep devotion to God and who decided to put God first rather than the pleasures of Babylon. But they had become discouraged due to the 16 years of delay, obstacles and resistance to rebuilding the temple. It was not an intentional decision, but over time the people drifted away from God and they lost sight of the reason they returned to Jerusalem. They had become spiritually insensitive and blind.

God used the Prophet Haggai to confront his people who had strayed spiritually. The enemy will always try to stop a spiritual revival; and that is what was happening regarding the decree to stop the rebuilding of the temple.

Let me suggest that it is always a remnant of believers who are set apart unto the Lord and who God uses to ignite a spiritual revival.

Do you need a Haggai in your life today?

We need a Haggai in our lives to confront us spiritually because:

• We will always come up with an excuse of why not to focus on God.

• We’ll have excuses of why not to focus on spiritual things.

• We cannot find time to pray or listen to God.

When you are outside the will of God, you will never be fully satisfied. Like the people Haggai was speaking to, you’ll never seem to have enough.

Always looking for more?

Haggai called the people of God to give careful thought to their ways. The Lord wanted the people to consider why they were never satisfied. Even though they worked hard the fields, they seemed to produce less. God had allowed a drought and He withheld His blessings because the people were not focused on spiritual things. They were concerned more about what they wanted, rather than what God was calling them to do.

Once Haggai confronted them, they turned back to God. No excuses. No arguments. They had no need to worry; God was with them and all their needs were being met. They simply responded and began to rebuild the temple once again.

Are you giving careful thought to your ways?

• Are you focused on spiritual things or are you focused on your own desires?

• Are you focused on possessions and pleasures or on the things of God?

• Are you passionate about worshiping Jesus?

Wondering “How did I get here?”

I believe the Lord is calling each of us to focus on the spiritual things in life. The enemy will get you to focus on all the wrong things and trick you into thinking that all you need to do is work hard, longer, faster. But you’ll never be satisfied with that. You’ll always want more. You’ll lose peace of mind. One day you could wake up and wonder “how did I get here?”

In the same way as the remnant of Israel drifted from God, we are all at risk of accidentally drifting slowly away from God, not even realizing how far we’ve gone.

God Will Do whatever it takes to bring you close to him

God is asking us to give careful thought to our ways. God’s desire is that we realize we’ve drifted and that we respond positively to Him again, returning to Him.

When things in life get in the way and draw you away spiritually from the will of God for your life, you will often find that the blessing of God will depart from your life. Fear will grip your heart, and you will think that you have no time for the things of God. God will not turn his back on you but He can withhold His blessings in order to gain your attention. I believe God will send a person like Haggai, a word from a friend, a message, a scripture verse into your life to cause you to consider your ways. He’s jealous for you and wants you to be in close relationship with Him. He’ll do whatever it takes to bring you close.

So let me ask:

• Are you focused on God or other things?

• Are you neglecting God’s plan for your life?

Do not allow your spiritual heart and life to be in ruins. Do not neglect spending time reading the word. Do not neglect spending time in prayer. Do not neglect giving thanks to God for how He has blessed you. Instead make your heart and life a place of honor to the Lord; as you do you can be sure that God is with you. You will never be alone.

Choose to make Jesus a priority today

Let me suggest that when the Lord reveals the need to consider your ways, don’t ignore that warning. Seek the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas in your heart or life that may not be 100% submitted to the Lord.

Today I am asking you to give careful thought to your ways.

• What is your focus?

• Who are you living for?

Give careful thought as to why you come to church, or connect with your church family.

• Is it to worship the LORD with your entire being?

• Is it to be encouraged and challenged spiritually?

• Is it to gather together and show love for God and one another?

• Is it to invite friends and family to hear the Gospel and be saved?

• Is it to grow spiritually and become spiritually equipped to fulfill the great commission and share the gospel?

• Or is it for some other reason?

The Lord saved you for a purpose. He has given you gifts, talents, and abilities to serve alongside one another in fulfilling the great commission. As individuals and as a church body, I believe the Lord is calling us to give careful thought to our ways.

Maybe the Holy Spirit is speaking to you at this moment. Maybe you have started to drift away spiritually. It was not intentional, it just happened.

Choose to make Jesus a priority in your life today:

• Worship Him as you once did.

• Rededicate your heart.

• Recommit your love.

• Reestablish your passion for the things of God once again.

Give careful thought to your ways and fulfill the call of God on your life. You have exactly what people need. JESUS! Be that remnant of God that is spiritually on fire and live set apart for God.

Suggested Praise and Worship

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