My Purse Has Holes!!

So this morning, I get up and think, I want to read something different today.

So instead of going with the book of the Bible I've been reading from, I picked up my old Teen Study Bible. My sweet grandmother gave me this Bible when I was 13, and I chose it because before each book, there's a brief description of what the book is about and how it applies to our life. I chose to read Haggai.

We don't notice little bitty Haggai very often, but today the Holy Spirit used itty bitty Haggai to show me something BIG.

Don't you love that about our LORD?!?! So exciting and humbling!

The sermons recorded in Haggai were preached in 520 BC but thanks to the Living Breathing Word of God, the message is still relevant today! So the background is that the Jews had returned from captivity in Babylon and were supposed to be rebuilding the temple. But guess what? They weren't fulfilling their calling. And this is what happened: Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, buat are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." 1:5,6

Man, oh, man! I feel like this all the time! I'm working away, but have little to show for it. Do you ever feel like this? I especially identify with the holey purse! The people of God heard Haggai's message and responded in obedience to the Lord. They began to once again rebuild the temple and in chapter 2, verse 19, God says, "From this day on, I will bless you." WHOA!! What an awesome thing to hear from the Lord. From this day on, I will bless you. You want to know what really happened? The holey purse became a holy purse.

You see, the Jews were investing all their time and energy in their own homes, but were neglecting the house of the Lord.

I am so guilty of this, my friend!

I wonder what my little church would look like if I invested as much energy and sacrifice into building up the temple (which for us, is the people of God) as I do for my home and family.

Maybe the problem with my holey purse, is that my goal for filling it is so provide wealth and security for my family. Maybe I need a holy purse that seeks to invest in the kingdom of heaven and in the people of God. It's a priorities thing. How many times have I cut back on my tithes so that I have more money for another part of my budget? Just being honest, people. I'm ashamed to admit that God does not often get my firstfruits.

In doing what I think is just common sense, am I dooming myself to a holey purse? Not saying that God always blesses financially for obedience, but it doesn't really matter does it? I teach my boys that obedience is the most important thing. Maybe I need to learn that lesson myself. This morning my prayer is to bring out the holy purse, and toss out the one with all the holes.