Have You Left God's House Empty?
Be encouraged by today’s Scripture reflection and prayer.
Today's Scripture
Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
— Haggai 1:4 (KJV)
Reflection
In my younger days, my mom and I had a little pastime. We would go out just to walk through model homes. Have you ever gone into a brand-new house? Everything is fresh, perfectly decorated, spotless. It gives you ideas and makes you want to settle in right there. That is the first thing that came to mind while reading this scripture.
But then I thought about the context. The Jewish people had returned to Jerusalem and began rebuilding the temple. They laid the foundation, but due to outside opposition, the work came to a stop. And like so many of us, when faced with a hard stop, they turned their attention to other things. They shifted their focus to their own homes. Before long, they were living in nicely finished houses while God’s temple sat unfinished, bare, and forgotten.
Scripture says the temple lay in waste for about 16 years. Sixteen years of bareness. Sixteen years where the house of the Lord had no care, no covering, no honor.
And it made me think about us. We are God’s temple now. The Spirit dwells in us. But how often do we neglect the care of this temple, the home built by the Lord? We give our energy to work, comfort, routines, and even pleasures. Meanwhile, the spiritual house is left unattended. We get caught in cycles of busy living while our faith sits quietly in the background.
Opposition will come. It may look like conflict, discouragement, pressure from others, or even our own laziness or fear. But opposition is not a reason to abandon what God has called us to build.
Putting God first in your life means choosing His house over your own comforts. It means tending to your spirit before you tend to your schedule. It means getting back to the work even if it has been years.
The good news is that God still called them. He sent the prophet Haggai not to condemn, but to remind. To stir them up again. And He will do the same for us. He calls us back, invites us to finish what we left undone, and promises to be with us as we work.
Let Him stir you up again.
Today's Prayer
Lord, forgive me for the times I have made everything else more important than You. Help me to see where I have left Your house in waste, where I have neglected my time with You or ignored the work You asked me to do. Stir my heart again and teach me to put You first in every area of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Before You Go
We cannot flourish spiritually while ignoring the One who gives life. Putting God first in your life may come with opposition, but it also brings peace, purpose, and God's presence.
Even when we return to the work, we do not labor in our own strength. Scripture says:
"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it."
Psalm 127:1 (KJV)
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
Philippians 2:13 (KJV)
God not only calls us, He strengthens us. He is the one who gives the desire to obey and the power to carry it out. So if you feel tired, uncertain, or afraid to pick things back up again, know this: He will finish what He started.
Take a moment to reflect:
What areas of your spiritual life have been left in waste?
What opposition has made you put things off or let go of the work God called you to?
Are you trusting God to help you build what He called you to start?
Let today be the day you return to the work, not in your strength, but in His.
Yesterday’s Devotional
