"You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house." The work of rebuilding the temple by the returning Jews ceased for about ten years by order of King Artaxerxes of Persia (Ezra 4:24). Near the end of this ten-year cessation period the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet to stir up the repatriated Jews to complete the rebuilding of the temple. Haggai told the people in no uncertain terms that their priorities were out of order and as a result, nothing was working right in their lives. They sow much but harvest little; they never have enough to eat or drink to satisfy themselves; they can't hold on to the money they earn (vs. 6). Why does nothing go right? Because their lifetime To-Do List was out of order. They were building their own houses when the Lord's house lay in ruins (vs. 4). God tells them to look at their priorities and put Him first:
"Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord." Nothing will go right in your life until your priorities are in the correct order. First build God's house and then your own. Reorganize your lifetime To-Do List: First God, then everything else! When building God's house is the main priority of your life, then you can be assured that He will help you accomplish everything else on your lifetime To-Do List.
