Haggai 1
New Living Translation (NLT)
A Call to Rebuild the Temple
1 On August 29[a] of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua[b] son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
2 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’”
3 Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. 9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. 11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”
Obedience to God’s Call
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God.
A few years ago after having our 4th child, I had begun to lose the baby weight. After chemo, I began to exercise and cut out meat from my diet and so forth. I was doing everything right and gained 20, then 40 pounds. It was discouraging. Through a series of events, I found out that I was hypothyroid. This is common in patients who have had radiation to the neck area. I didn’t want to accept another diagnosis that would change my life, so I didn’t bother with getting help and I was keeping a steady weight. I found it near impossible to lose weight, but I simply didn’t want to add a pill to my routine. After severe fatigue, I sought help and found out that my thyroid levels were even worse. I recently started taking the correct dosage, as the dosage needed to be increased, and I feel good. But, I still haven’t started exercising and eating better because of the previous discouragement. This passage spoke to me on Sunday. My body is the temple. I’m on a journey to minister to 5 more children and I currently disciple many others. But, the temple of God, my body, lies in ruins. I need to strengthen this house of God so that His work can be performed within. From His work within, springs of life will flow, and His work that He has set before me will be accomplished in the way He wants, in the time He sets, and all for His glory and honor.