Two weeks ago, I visited a brother in hospital. While ministering to him, he said, "I am only a nominal Christian." Immediately, I urged him to rededicate his life to the Lord. I encouraged him to spend his convalesced time reflecting on God’s sacrificial and unconditional love. You see, under normal circumstances, he would never do it. How marvelous it is! God has a way of disciplining His children and bringing them back to Himself.

"Give careful thought to your way" is a message to God’s people today. Many of us have been neglecting God and His work for a long time. We have been seeking selfishly for our own interests, not those of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:21). This is tragic!

I have been burdened to share with you this message given by the prophet Haggai to the people of God which I think is very applicable to us today. I plead with you to take heed to it and give careful thought to your way. I urge you to search out and examine your ways and turn back to the LORD (Lamentation 3:31-33, 40).

In the year 586 BC the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed and burned down by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (2 Kings 25:8-9, 13-17; Jeremiah 39:1-3; 52:3-13). God’s people were carried captive to Babylon.

In the year 539 BC Cyrus, king of Persia, conquered Babylon. In the providence of God, he signed a decree permitting all captive people in Babylon to return to their homelands to rebuild their Temple (Ezra 1:1-4; 2 Chronicles 36:22-23). Some 50,000 people returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of the newly appointed governor of Judah, Zerubbabel (Ezra 1:8, 11; 5:14, 16).

When the people of God arrived in Jerusalem, they were full of praise and thanksgiving to God. They were ready to lay the foundations and rebuild the Temple so that they could once again offer praise and worship to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Ezra 3:10, 11). Ezra 2:68 and 69 tells us how the people gave sacrificially to the rebuilding of God’s house.

In his commentary, James Montgomery Boice comments "In our weights the gold was 1,100 pounds or 13,200 ounces (Troy weight), for a value somewhat in excess of five million dollars. The silver weighed three tons and was worth more than half a million dollars at our current rates of exchange" (The Minor Prophets: An Expositional Commentary, Vol. 2, Micah-Malachi, Zondervan, p 140, 1986).

But the hostility of the surrounding neighbours prevented them from advancing their work of restoration. Since they could not continue in the restoration of the temple, they turned to their own private affairs. They began to build beautiful houses for themselves. They began to live for themselves rather than for God’s glory. Their spiritual priorities were altogether wrong. And for 16 years they neglected the house of God.

In the year 520 BC when the prophet Haggai confronted them with the issue, they reasoned with him saying, "The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built" (1:2). In today’s language, it goes something like this: "Our losses are too great and are not repaired. Let us first repair our own houses before we talk about rebuilding the house of the Lord." Notice that the people of God did not say that they would not rebuild the Lord’s house but that the time had not come. "Waiting for the right time" was the slogan of the day. Consequently, they failed to put first things first.

Are there consequences for such ingratitude of the Jewish nation towards God? Will God chasten the people for neglecting His house?

1. There is plenty of investment but little profit.

One of the most insistent teachings of the Old Testament is that national adversity is due to national disobedience to God. Therefore, be it personal or national, disasters are used of God to check our waywardness.

More than once Haggai exhorted the people to consider their ways (1:5, 7; 2:15, 18). Farming was their chief occupation. They worked laboriously from morning till evening. But when harvest came it was not to their expectation. Yes, the people expected much but it turned out to be little. The people had planted much but harvested little.

The Bible tells us that this is a sign of cursing for disobedience. Deuteronomy 28:20 says, "The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me." Leviticus 26:20 describes the unfruitfulness of a land judged by God - "And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits." That is why the people in the day of Haggai complained of their withheld blessings. Everything seemed to go wrong. The consequences were costly.

There are people who take on extra jobs, who work through lunch and stay late in the office, who are always rushing around to get ahead. They are like the person in the Pennsylvania Dutch expression: "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get." They work longer hours and yet they seem to get further and further behind in their bills and cannot buy or do as much with their earnings. Where have they possibly gone wrong?

In my pastoral observation, one possible reason that these people seem to be getting further behind is that the priorities they set in their day-to-day lives may not be pleasing to the Lord. They may have placed their goals, interests and joys ahead of the place they should have reserved for God. They have plenty of time for shopping, leisure, investment, career, social gatherings and family except for the things of God. They have failed to prioritize their daily chores. John reminds us to keep away from anything [business, wealth, home, family, possessions, talents, popularity, power, pleasures] that might take God’s place in our hearts (1 John 5:21). Unfortunately, they have not learned to put first things first. And as a result, blessings are withheld from them. Are you in a condition like the returning Jews? If you are, then you need to give careful consideration to your way of life.

2. There is always Food but no Satisfaction.

Not only were the people sowing much and harvesting less, whatever they ate did not satisfy them. They had their daily meals provided and yet they were never satisfied. They were always looking for more. There was always a longing in them for more. Micah 6:14 says, "Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied." Hosea 4:10 says, "For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD [in this case, it has to do with neglecting of God’s house]." This was God’s judgment upon them.

There are many unsatisfied Christians in the church. Somehow there is always a lack in them. They eat well but nothing satisfies them. So they wander from place to place looking for more.

What is wrong with them? There is only one answer – NEGLIGENCE. They have neglected the affairs of the church. God said, "… for them that honour me I will honour" (1 Samuel 2:30). Taking care of the house of the Lord is one of the best ways to honour God. God has blessed us with spiritual gifts and talents. We should be found using them to build up the church.

Dearly beloved, may I exhort you to get involved in the church’s ministries. If you have not already been serving the Lord, please give careful consideration to your way of life.

3. There is always Wine but no Happiness.

Wine, in the Bible, is a symbol of abundance, enjoyment and nourishment (Isaiah 55:1, 2). Wine supposedly brings joy to one’s soul. In a Chinese wedding dinner, there is always toasting. The host will say to the guests, "Drink to your fullness. Today is my son’s big occasion!"

But it was not so in Haggai’s day. The people were drinking but they were not filled. Instead of feeling "high" they became frustrated. Drinking was no longer a joy to look forward to.

Here is a picture of Christians looking for happiness but who could not find it because of negligence of the things of the Lord. When God is not happy with us, no matter what we do, it will not bring joy to our souls.

For example, God was not happy with King David who tried to hide his sins. He thought he could escape from it. But God never let him go. Day and night His hands were upon him. He felt miserable (Psalm 32:3, 4). There was no joy of salvation in him (Psalm 51:12). When God convicted him of his sins through Nathan, he said, "I have sinned against the LORD" (2 Samuel 12:13). It was only when he confessed his sins and repented from them that joy returned to him.

Sin is a hindrance to experiencing the joy of salvation. Neglecting the ministry of the church withholds blessings from God. If you have been seeking for peace and joy in the Christian life and have not found it, please give careful consideration to your way of life.

4. There is always Clothing but no Warmth.

The people had enough to wear but somehow they did not experience warmth. Perhaps the winter was extremely cold or their infirm health made their usual clothing insufficient to maintain their bodily heat. No matter how much they put on they could not feel warm. If God withholds warmness, no matter what you put on will not keep you from coldness.

This is the outcome of not showing interest in the business of the Lord. There is no warmth for those who ignore the affairs of the church. Perhaps, you have been feeling lethargic and restless and you do not know why. Paul said, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (2 Corinthians 13:5) May I suggest that you give careful consideration to your way of life.

5. There are always Wages but no Security.

The people of God worked very hard only to put their wages in a purse with holes in it. In reprimanding them, God said, "Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house" (Haggai 1: 9).

We do the same also. We work very hard to save up for a rainy day. But little do we know that our savings trickle away, eaten up by taxes or by progressive devaluation of one’s country currency. Famine causes prices to rise sharply. This is a classic description of inflation.

Is this not a picture of our age? More cars, more houses, more furniture, more food, more television sets, more games, more pleasures, more vacations. Yet people are unsatisfied and insecure.

What is the cause of this? The people of God have not learned to put first things first. They place their earthly desires – children’s education, career, leisure time on the weekends – ahead of God’s. If you are in this frame of mind, please give careful consideration to your way of life.

Dearly beloved, there is a need to give careful consideration to what we plan for the day. Paul said, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:7, 8).

Some ten years ago, I received a letter from a leader telling me about his struggles in the Lord’s ministry. He lamented, "Concerning the Fellowship’s members, most of them have started to work. Truly working life is pressurizing and it has always taken up most of our time which we ought to devote to Him. It has always been my fear that some members including myself may be choked by the cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches and the pursuing of a successful career, and becoming inactive and not fruitful in the ministry of God."

Sad to say, what this brother said has become a self-fulfilled prophecy. Today, he is no longer with that Fellowship. He left the church and probably left his faith too.