There are times in my life where it seems like I am trying to find "excuses" for why I did or didn't do something. It seems as though people are always asking me to do things, and, unfortunately, I have a problem saying no. Then, I find my plate too full to do things things that I had promised. What is the solution? Well, I read through Haggai today and realized something, I'm not the only one who has this problem.
In Haggai, God's chosen people were dragging their feet on a command that God had given them, to rebuild His temple. God decided to send the prophet Haggai to speak on His behalf. His first message to them was to stop making excuses for not doing what God commanded. His second message was to keep their focus on where it should be, God. His final message was to encourage them and remind them what God had promised.
As I was thinking about the first message Haggai delivered (stop making excuses), I began to realize something. I give God a lot of excuses. God doesn't want our excuses, He wants our best. Any excuse that I could possibly come up with for not doing something God wants me to do can only be described as selfish and foolish. The Bible tells me that God wants the "first fruits" of my life. Right now, I'm trying to get by on giving God my leftovers. There are areas where I feel that I give Him my best, but the reality is, I can't compartmentalize my faith. If I am not giving God my best in all areas of my life, then I am not giving God my best.
How do I give God my first fruits? Haggai addressed that in his next message to God's people, by not losing our focus. As I've said in the past, that is one of my biggest challenges. I have the tendency to not rely on God when things are going "well." This is another one of Satan's deceptions. He pulls the veil over my eyes and tells me that everything is okay, so I read my Bible less, I pray less and before I know it, I'm in over my head. I am beginning to realize that I have a desperate need to study God's Word and be in His presence on a daily basis. If I'm not, my spirit begins to starve, and I start down the slippery slope of becoming comfortable. If I'm comfortable, then Satan has me right where he wants me. We all need to have some level of discomfort in our lives. Let me give you an analogy. I LOVE Dr. Pepper; however, my doctor and bloodwork tell me that my body doesn't (isn't it great getting older?!?). As I replaced all the Dr. Pepper I was drinking with water, my body started craving water more and more because it has been starved from it. It's the same way, spiritually, when I study God's Word. The more I study, the more my mind and spirit need to know. For years, I tried to get by on the head knowledge that I had of the Bible. Meanwhile, my spirit was being starved of the nutrients it needed...connection to God through His Word.
What's the payoff? Haggai's third message answers this for me. God will fulfill His promises. In other words, He is trustworthy. I can find rest in the fact that God can handle whatever I give Him. Let's talk about it in practical terms. The more that I am in God's Word, the more I understand what His promises are. The more that I understand what His promises are, the more I can put into practice what He is teaching me. The more I put into practice this knowledge God is teaching, the deeper my spiritual wisdom. The deeper my spiritual wisdom, the more God can use me to achieve His purposes. It is then that I am giving God my first fruits, and when I give that offering to God, I don't have to worry about making excuses!
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