Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourself, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.  (ESV)

“In God’s timing.”  

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This phrase is alluded to in the Bible (Eccl. 3, for example) and has been adopted by current Christians today. It’s something that we respect, honor, and I believe oftentimes misuse.  

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In Haggai’s time, the exiled Jews had returned to their land after 70 years in Babylon. On their return, they began to rebuild the temple that lay in ruins. And then, after just two years and having only laid the foundation for the temple, they stopped. We see in Haggai 1:2, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” The people of Israel were also prone to misusing this excuse.  

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These weren’t “bad people” using lame excuses to delay in rebuilding the temple. The work was hard, the land was desolate, their enemies abounded, and quite honestly, they probably remembered the “easier” times in Babylon. But of the hundreds of thousands taken into captivity, this remnant of 50,000 were the most committed to the LORD and the restoration of Jerusalem. I think they got complacent. They got comfortable. They lost their focus.

The funny thing is, we see they were not lazy. The text today says they had sown much. They rebuilt their own houses (vs. 4). They had clothing and earned wages. So, they were not just sitting idle, but their work was misplaced.  

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One commentator said, “Because of the great obstacles against the work, God’s people began to rationalize and decided that it wasn’t time to rebuild after all. ‘If it’s so hard, evidently, God doesn’t want us to do it – at least no time soon.’”

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How many times have you heard someone say (or said yourself maybe), God is not opening doors, so it must mean I’m not supposed to do this. While I believe that sometimes God does make it very obvious, and doors just fly open and make it too easy to follow, I also believe that sometimes obedience is going to be hard.  

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It’s easy to do what the world calls us to do – take the job that pays more, buy the car that’s shinier, yell louder and hate the people you disagree with. But God calls us to something more, something better. Sometimes we make less money because God calls us to serve in his way. Sometimes we forego the new car and give that money to someone in need. And God always calls us to love him and love our neighbor – even if we disagree with them.  

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Doing things God’s way and in his timing is not always the easy way or time, but it is always the best way and time. He calls us out of the chaotic and competitive ways of the world into the peaceful and unforced rhythms of his ways. Where is God saying, “It’s time,” that you have been putting off, waiting for all the right doors to open? How might stepping into God’s calling bring you peace?

Father God, may we be attuned to your timing and your call to rest and/or act when you call us to.  May our focus stay on you so that our efforts aren’t wasted. Thank you for including us in your work and feeling that all-powerful flood of grace when we do. In Jesus’ name ~ AMEN!