Stingy

I think most of you would agree that a lack of rain has a way of awakening us spiritually.  It doesn’t seem to take long for us to begin questioning why God might be withholding the rain.  Is he testing our faith?  Is he disciplining us?  Our questions quickly lead us to begin evaluating how we’re living our lives.  Is God trying to tell us something?
Reminds me of the story found in Haggai 1.  The people had returned to Judah after spending 70 years in exile and immediately began rebuilding their homes.  In fact, not only restoring them to livable conditions, their remodeling projects were extravagant.  And not only were they living in elaborate homes, they had become unquenchable consumers—they just couldn’t get enough.
While God certainly was concerned about their profligate spending, his real concern was that they were living their lavish lifestyles while the temple virtually remained in ruins.  God warned his people through Haggai, “Take a good hard look at your life.  Think it over…You’ve had great ambitions for yourselves, but nothing has become of it.  The little you brought to my Temple I’ve blown away—there was nothing to it.  And why?  Because while you’ve run around, caught up with taking care of your own houses, my Home is in ruins.  That’s why.  Because of your stinginess.  And so I’ve given you a dry summer and a stingy crop.  I’ve matched your tight fisted stinginess by decreeing a season of drought, drying up fields and hills, withering gardens and orchards, stunting vegetables and fruit.  Nothing—not man or woman, not animal or crop—is going to thrive” (Haggai 1:7-11 The Message Paraphrase).
So you ask; Mike, are you implying that the drought is a result of our materialistic lifestyle and our stingy giving toward the Kingdom of God?  No, I can’t say that for sure, but I have used this text to “take a good hard look at my ambitions in life” and how I’m stewarding the resources God has given me.
Regardless of the outcome of this year’s drought, may our hearts always be open to God’s word of loving correction and reproof.  And if acknowledging we are guilty of being stingy in our sowing in God’s kingdom, may we be as quick to respond in the same way as the Jews in the story found in Haggai 1 (I encourage you to read what happened).  And may you and I always walk in confidence and peace knowing God is faithful.
Soaking in the goodness of God,
Mike

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