Is the House Ruined?

It was nearly ten years ago, in the middle of the night. I could not sleep. My littlest was just over a year old, so sleeping when kids are sleeping is a “non-negotiable.” I was becoming more and more familiar with this middle-of-the-night-uneasy feeling. This had nothing to do with the amount of caffeine I had that day, or what was on my mind about the kids. I had this sense that the Lord wanted to share something with me. 

I got up and tiptoed to the living room, careful not to let anyone disrupt my midnight rendezvous with the Lord. 

He laid on my heart to read The Book of Haggai. I read it four or five times, writing down dates and names that weren’t as well known to me. It’s a short book, all of 2 chapters. But that night the Lord used it to speak to me about legacy. 

His questions rang: Erin, what do you want to build? 

My husband and I have been in the Real Estate industry for over 20 years. We have seen lots of new builds, renovations, and house flips in our time. The question had a lot of meaning for me. It took on new understanding in the light of Haggai’s words.

In this book, Haggai heralds a call alongside his fellow prophet Zechariah for the leaders and the remnant of Israel to begin rebuilding the House of the Lord. He made these declarations over the span of four short months. The message to the Jews was clear: It’s time. Get to it. There is no time to waste. ⏰

In the text, Haggai repeats these phrases from the Lord several times: Give careful thought, I am with you; Be strong. 

There was a specific purpose in the encouragement here. And this purpose is still what pierces my heart. They would need it for the work the Lord was calling them to do. The encouragement is also coupled with some very strong admonition. It’s like adding a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. There is no long introduction in this short book. The Lord uses Haggai to simply state the obvious. 

It starts in verse four. The Lord says to his people, who are complacent and afraid of rebuilding the Temple, “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:4)

And again in verse nine, He says, “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of My house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.” 

I couldn’t unsee it. I felt the Holy Spirit convict me all those years ago, and still again today. After Haggai’s words, the remnant felt convicted. They repented and obeyed. And the end of verse 12 says, “The people feared the Lord.” And they got to the work of rebuilding. 

The Jewish people at the time were living in peace. They had no real threat against them. Even though they were under the rule of another empire, King Darius, a Persian king, was the one who would send them with resources to rebuild the Temple. Even thought he wouldn’t be the one to worship there, he realized the importance of the faith of his subjects. Ultimately, he authorized and supplied the project. It was almost too easy. The only thing the people were up against was their own comfort, distraction, and fear. Hence the need for the prophetic declaration of Haggai. 

There is nothing new under the sun. This is the same game the enemy is playing with us. We love and crave our comfort. We are subdued by distraction, and paralyzed by fear. 

And yet, the Lord God Almighty is inviting us to work on His house. 

That night, I repented to the Lord for my focus on my own house, while His lay in ruin. It is what has moved me into the areas where I now serve. When I decided that night, on my couch with the Lord, that I would fear Him and work to build His house, I must confess that I feared my own house would be ruined. I was nervous about what would happen with my kids if my attention was drawn elsewhere. What has happened since then has only occurred by God’s grace. My kids have seen my husband and I pursue Jesus and love His Bride at great cost to ourselves. We have done this, mostly, with joy. And now, miracle of all miracles, we are watching our kids grow up to do the same. They are pursuing Him fully, and learning how to love His Bride at great cost to their own dreams, desires, and plans. God knows best how to lead our families. ❤️

I could’ve spent a lot of time focused on my house, how it looked, how clean or organized it is. Of course, we ought to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us. But left unchecked, I would spend my days obsessing over the condition of my house. For what? For who? It all fades. 

When I get to heaven, Jesus will not ask me how clean and organized my house was. 

I sense Haggai’s words coming to us again, sisters. I sense the Lord saying, “What house do you want to build? Do you want to build My house or yours?” 🤔

Remember His words to us through Haggai: 

Give careful thought

I am with you

Be Strong

• Where is the Lord calling you to give careful thought and attention to building His house?

  
  

• Where do you need to be reminded that the Lord is with you as you tend to His house?

  
  

• How is the Lord imparting His strength to continue this work?  

Erin Arruda, Worthy Content Writer