How To Renew Your Life

Haggai was a minor prophet during the rebuilding of the second temple. This was after the Jewish people were exiled from their home and the original temple was destroyed. The people began rebuilding their lives when they returned home and as time went on they noticed their harvest and hard work was not producing what it should be. God used Haggai to get the people encouraged to finish building God’s temple. In the Old Testament, the temple is extremely important because this was God’s dwelling place before Jesus was sent to die on the cross for our sins and sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Haggai 1:2-9 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “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 your own house.

Have you felt like you have planted much in life but you just aren’t getting enough in return? You have your expectations set high as you start out on your new and exciting adventure but slowly start to feel let down. You may wonder where your job, family, and life, in general, started going downhill? Maybe you feel like you’re at a standstill going nowhere? Perhaps you are struggling to find the joy in your adventure that you started out loving. You have poured your heart into the things that make up your life on the outside but what have you neglected God’s temple on the inside?

God says, “Give careful thought to your ways.” He wants to be first, think of Him and His plan before doing anything with your life. He wants to take pleasure in your life and be honored. When you put Him first, you will be then completely filled in every area of your life and you surely will not be lacking. He will surpass your wildest dreams and expectations.

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

How do I practice this?

I’m glad you asked because I have good news to share with you! At any moment in your life, if you have fallen so far, there is a fresh start for you. If you feel like you are not going anywhere and have lost your joy, just pick up where you left off. Jesus never left.

Have a talk with Jesus. Ask for forgiveness, tell Him about your hopes, fears, disappointments that you feel and tell Him that you are all in.
Make a decision to devote time to spend reading God’s word and praying.
Put this into action daily. Set an alarm to wake up early before everyone else in your house. Get a quiet room for you and God to sit and meditate on His word and talk with Him.
Ask God to make Himself real to you. This is my favorite prayer – I always pray this when I am discouraged and for others if they are feeling the same way.
Sit back and watch God’s goodness overflow in your life.