Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
Haggai 1:3-6
On June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln accepted the nomination to be the Republican candidate for Senate from Illinois. That night, he gave one of the most famous speeches in American history, which came to be known as the “House Divided” speech. Despite the urging of friends to the contrary, Lincoln gave the speech and made it clear that the issue of slavery could not be avoided forever. He began the speech with these words:
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention, if we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it. We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented. In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed.
The principle Lincoln articulated still holds true—it is vital for us to take the time and put in the effort to understand not just where we want to go, but where we are right now. God’s message to the people in Jerusalem through Haggai was a call to reflect and think about what they were doing. We are not meant to drift aimlessly through life but to move forward toward the goals God has placed before us. The first step in doing that effectively is to consider our ways and make sure they are aligned with Him.
