We have all felt this way. We are tired of working, and we want to do our own thing. We just want to win the lottery and enjoy life without the hassle and the stress.

Yet, most of us have a mundane task of getting up early in the morning to join the busy traffic and pedestrians to begin our day at the workplace. These routine tasks become wearisome and even frustrating after an extended period.

In spite of this, we continue to tread along this burdensome path since there are massive bills to be paid every month and children to feed. Even if you do not enjoy your job, you can change your attitude towards it by thinking positively and making the best of your situation.

We all need to work whether voluntary or otherwise. Even our children must work at studying their lessons to be successful in life. None of us want to be a sluggard who sleeps all day without working. Neither do we wish to be a beggar or a thief.

If the ants can labor all day, gathering and storing, without a supervisor to motivate them, then we as humans must work at something with our hands. (Proverbs 6:6-11).

Sometimes our work may be impeded by negative obstacles but we cannot give up but must choose instead to encourage ourselves in the Lord.

The children of Israel were driven from their homeland Judah and were in captivity in the land of the enemy for seventy years. They were once the ruling empire of the world, but the Lord allowed the Babylonians to conquer them because of their disobedience to God’s command.

After seventy years, the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians. Cyrus, king of Persia, made a declaration that the God of heaven commanded him to build a temple for the Lord in Jerusalem. He made a decree that any Jews who wish to return home were permitted to do so. Immediately a group of Jews led by their leaders, Jeshua and Zerubbabel, returned to Jerusalem to build God’s house.

As soon as the foundation of the temple was laid the people sang praises to God and worshiped Him for his everlasting mercy to them. When the adversary heard about the Jews’ plan to rebuild the temple of God they became jealous and tried to discourage the people and frustrate their work. Eventually, the Jews and leaders became frustrated, and they postponed the building of the temple.

When the Lord saw the afflictions of the Jews, He sent two prophets – Zechariah and Haggai to prophesy unto the Jews in the name of the God of Israel. These prophecies strengthened them, and they arose from their slumber and resumed the building of the temple until it was completed without any other interruption from the enemy. (Ezra 1-5)

The spiritual implication of this story is that we need to build our bodies into a holy and clean dwelling place for the Holy Spirit. We can build our bodies by prayer and fasting and studying the word of God.

The adversary does not want you to live a prosperous and abundant life so he will do anything to frustrate your work. Therefore, as you work to develop yourself spiritually and physically, I want you to prophesy over your life and family the word of God so that you gain strength to persevere.

The following poem is a summary of the prophecy of Haggai, which you can proclaim over your life.

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS

This is God’s time!

Yes! Now is the time to build the house of the Lord.

It is time to sweep out the rubble.

It is time that you go up to Mount Zion;

Gather in the woods and the stones and

Let us build a house for the Lord

Where He can take pleasure and be glorified.

Yet, you resist!

You lift up your head in pride and

Choose instead to build paneled houses and elusive possessions,

While the house of the Lord lies in waste.

Now therefore thus said the Lord of Hosts,

‘Consider your ways.’

For you will sow much but bring in very little;

You will eat but will never be satisfied;

You will drink but will not be filled;

Your layers of designer clothing will never keep you warm;

And when you receive your wages you

Will put it in a bag with many holes.

Yes! You will seek much but receive very little and lo,

When you take it home, it will be gone with

A puff of the wind from the mouth of the Lord.                             ‘

Thus said the Lord of Hosts; “consider your ways.”

Do not allow the Lord to stay the dew and cease the rain.

For there will be drought upon the land,

Upon the mountains, your food,

Your cattle and all the labor of your hands.

So rise up all you generation of Zerubbabel and Jeshua

And speak to the mountain of your adversaries.

Be strong in the Lord and work!

Be strong in the Lord and build!

For the spirit of the Lord is with you!

He will shake the heavens and the earth.

He will shake the sea and the dry land.

He will shake the nations and put them to shame;

And He will fill your house with his glory.

So give the Lord all your silver and gold –

The luxury of your time for they ALL belong to Him.

And the glory of your latter house will be greater than the former;

“And in this place will I give peace,” said the Lord Hosts. (Haggai 1- 2)

Prepared directly from the Book of Haggai by Beverley Wright (April 26, 2013).

A few years ago God cleansed the rubble from my heart and filled me with His words. During the process, I went through many trials and tribulations but the above prophecy strengthened and kept me until my body became a fortified temple for God. He will do the same for you.