The Shaking
This morning I sat down and asked the Lord what to read. Immediately I heard, “Haggai.”
I am constantly amazed at how consistently and accurately the Lord’s words through a prophet who lived 2500 years ago can apply so clearly to His people today.
In the 2 little chapters of Haggai, even though Nehemiah had finished the wall and Ezra restored the Word to them, the people had become pre-occupied with making sure they had the biggest 4K TV available, the best sound system and the latest iPhone with an app for everything, and had lost all interest in finishing the work that had been set before them of restoring the House of God, the Temple. (I paraphrase)
Because of their disinterest in the Lord, He said, He caused “their paychecks to disappear as though they were putting them in pockets filled with holes.” Sound familiar to anyone?
Here is His solution: “So now go down to Home Depot and Lowes and rebuild my house!” (again a paraphrase.) Another way to say this is, “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”
He was telling them, I know how to get your attention, so “you hoped for big bonus checks but they were poor. And when you brought your paycheck home, I blew it away.” Did you see that? It was not the enemy stealing from them at this time, it was the Lord. He wanted to get their attention back to Him so He could bless them. He wanted to give them wealth, not just riches. Wealth; all the love, care, nurturing, mentoring, correcting, wisdom-bombs, character development, creativity, innovative ideas and yes, money too. But their focus had been misguided.
And then He promised to make it worse…Like, “Do I have your attention now?”
Thankfully the people feared the Lord, so he said, “I am with you!” Then he sparked the Governor of Praise, the High Priest and all the people with enthusiasm for the work He set before them!
They jumped into the work with excitement in their hearts for the House of God and for His Kingdom. They began to heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead and cast out demons! Oh…wait…I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
Well anyway. As encouragement when the product they were building didn’t quite look like the church in the Book of Acts, the Lord said to them, (2:5) “My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt, so do not be afraid!” Go out and do it anyway and trust me. I am with you and I am for you and I will glorify my name!
Church, the Spirit of God is no longer among us, but is ONE WITH US. We have a greater covenant. We need not fear. No! We CANNOT fear. And we need to know this at the core of our being.
Now more than ever we must make our personal crowns not the Corona, but the helmet of Salvation. What I mean is, our understanding of all that our salvation has bought for us must be full and sure.
In Psalm 91:16, the Father promises that we will know the fullness of our salvation. (TPT) That includes much more than fire insurance. It means we became something new and we are here because the earth needs us to release the Kingdom that is within us.
We also have to know in our hearts that we are righteous before the Lord at all times. so that we never fear the assaults of the enemy. This is critically important so I always know that my Father is holding me by my hand as I go.
I need to be sure of this because He says in Haggai 2:6, “In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. v7, I will shake all the nations and the treasures of the nations will be brought to this temple.”
I believe the Father is saying to us at this time, Trust me and I will fulfill your obedience to act in my name, with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
The shaking has certainly begun. And when this shaking is over more will come. The Lord did not cause this virus among us, but He will get His people’s attention through it. The world is looking for solutions, and we have HIM.
He has given us our marching orders as the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The first step is making Him and His heart our first priority. Return to first love Church!
Now, during this crises, is the time to rise up. I pray the Lord will spark the enthusiasm of all those who love Him to go after His Kingdom with fervor.
I pray the Lord will come upon you in a new way, a way that you have never experienced Him before and literally blow your mind, so that your heart can receive Him without the confinement of your thoughts about Him.
I pray the fire of your passion for Him is re-ignited and that He will breathe upon it until a mighty inferno powers you into the work of the Kingdom, as your heart is entwined with His. Your fingers enveloped in His big hand as you march forward with Him.
Wholehearted Women 
Loved this! When I think of my “faith life”, the part of me that matters, I like to envision my life here on earth as being in a colander. The world will shake it, spin it, drown it, and drain it, but at the end of the stirring, the best parts of me are still there; awaiting His desire and His use. God’s blessings ma’am.
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