Living in the fast lane.
A single day seeming to last weeks, yet weeks passing by with every blink of my eye.
My to do list building day by day and my pen not marking things off fast enough.
Experiencing each breath intentionally and each second wisely.
All I have is time.
I sit here and ponder my life that is organized chaos and more times than not leaves me exhausted.
Never doubting one day that the hard work will be worth it. You fight for what you want and give up the things that matter the least. As my plate has continued to grow and my fork remains the same size, the most important thing that I can learn to manage is my time.
Not only manage my time, but TRUST God with my time.
When homework is heavy, work is overloading, and life in general won’t pause for even just a second,
I have a choice to trust or be tempted.
This past week a simple, profound question has revoluationzed my world.
“Do I really trust God?”
and if I do, then why are my actions boldly proclaiming a different truth?
I would’ve said without a doubt that of course I trust God, doesn't every good Christian do that?
However, many times we KNOW the right answer to say,
but do we BELIEVE and LIVE OUT the right answer.
KNOWING AND BELIEVING ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
A few nights ago, the Lord led me to the book of Haggai, specifically the majority of the first chapter:
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.”
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. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”
You see these people, like us many times, whether we admit it or not, were so consumed in the restoration of their own homes and their own priorities, that they neglected the temple of God. Many of us can read that story and think to ourselves, how in the world world or why In the world would someone do that, but be completely blinded by the fact that you may potentially fit into that same category.
I can sit here and think of many of the times the Lord has graciously stuck his hand out to me requesting that I continue to build the temple, rather than serving my own idol.
When I fall into the temptation to neglect my temple, I find my self in a trap of seeking fulfillment in empty promises, which always fail to deliver.
I find myself planting many seeds of my own strength and reaping only frustration.
I find myself taking bites of control, security, and comfort, only to find out that they're false.
I find myself drinking from the fountain of self, and still parched for something that can satisfy.
I find myself clothed in jackets of hard work and deep efforts, just to freeze in my own ability.
I find myself giving my all and obtaining nothing of matter in the long run.
All while the Lord of Heaven’s armies reach out to me, “Look what is happening to you!!!! Now go up into the hills, bring down timer, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord.”
When push comes to shove, if I were to be real with you, far too many times I remind God that
“it’s not time for this” when I should be saying
“God, is it EVER not the time for this?”
No matter the amount of school work, no matter how hectic work can be, no matter how many fundraisers it’s going to take to get me on this world race, the number one thing that can’t be forsaken is the Temple.
Trusting God with my time ensures that my Temple is taken care of, for HE IS WITH ME!
Without the Lord, my effort is worthless.
With the Lord ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
Whose temple are you building?
