There are many stories from the scripture, where the people apparently put God on hold. Today story is taken from the Book of Haggai.

God people who had been in exile in Babylon, left for Jerusalem. Their return was a struggle like any refugees, caught in the aftermath of war. They were poor and lacked even basic necessities, They faced  an enormous task of rebuilding their homeland, They would also need to rebuild their temple for a place of worship.

The first of those to return set out enthusiastically, to rebuild there place of worship the temple. Within a year or two they however gave up, they became distracted  by their own material needs. Our Lord and Our friend warned us about this very thought place they were in. Matthew 6 verses 33 and 34:

V33: ” But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you”.

V34: “therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of it’s own”.

For the next sixteen years, the temple construction came to a halt while everyone devoted themselves to rebuilding an economy. to a large extent, they were successful and build house for themselves, and material wealth grew.

The people did work hard also replanting their fields and vineyards. But they had put off spiritual  renewal, and had been put off for far to long, The Lord sent the Prophet Haggai, to tell  the people to get back to their work on the temple. Haggai pointed out the futility of all the business activity around him, The people’s work in its self was not wrong, but while the temple was in disrepair their priorities were wrong.

We too can get so busy in the things around our lives, that the things of God fall in to disrepair, Like in Haggai they were speaking about the Temple being left in disrepair, our Bodies are the Temple of The Holy Spirit in which He resides. Is there a chance that somehow we at times we leave our temple in-disrepair in the business of our lives.

Have we stopped putting God first, and put Him on hold. For God so Loved that He gave of His best, our response is to love Him in return and never put Our Lord and Our Friend on hold.

Haggai  is a great read, might help us in our prioritizing.

God Bless.

O F J.