Don’t Let Fear or Discouragement Keep You from What God’s Called You to Build

This year, I’ve been studying the Hebrew months and scriptures that align with those months. Currently, we are in the Hebrew month of Elul, which typically falls during August through September.   

Elul is known to be a time for personal reflection and repentance. In Jewish tradition, it’s done in preparation for the High Holy Days—Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.  

While there’s many Jewish traditions and scripture readings in observing the month of Elul, I’ve personally been drawn to Haggai 1.

In this Chapter, Haggai begins to prophesy to the Israelites in the sixth month, which is the Hebrew month of Elul (Haggai 1:1). It’s no coincidence that in the month of Elul—a time of reflection and repentance—he prophesies to the Israelites to reflect on what they’ve been building and to repent where they’ve been neglecting building the house of the Lord.

Haggai presents this question to the Israelites, “Is it time for you to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” (Haggai 1:4).

For context, the Israelites had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple after being in Babylonian captivity. They had laid the foundation for the house of the Lord, yet they did not see through the completion of the work due to opposition and discouragement from enemies (Ezra 3 & 4). They stopped building the temple and started working on their own houses due to apathy from the opposition, as well as blot out the memory of their captivity.

Haggai—as well as Zechariah—are raised up as prophetic messengers by God to stir the Israelites to begin rebuilding the temple. (Ezra 5:1). Haggai prophesies to the Israelites, “Consider your ways.” He’s asking them to reflect on what they’ve actually been building (Haggai 1:6-11).

Is it producing fruit, or is it vanity?

God’s displeasure wasn’t necessarily with them building houses, but the fact they had stopped prioritizing the building of His house over their own homes. They had become disobedient to God’s instructions to complete the building of the temple, and ultimately, disobedience is a sign of lack of reverence for God.  

Haggai’s prophetic message brought repentance and renewed hearts to the Israelites to fear the Lord and complete the task God had given them.

There’s so many take aways in this message, and Haggai 1 has been convicting of the havoc fear and discouragement can have on the heart It’s so easy to read the scriptures and point out the faults and frustrations with the Israelites for not being obedient to the Lord’s instruction, but I know my heart can be just as feeble, which is why I need the daily leadership of the Lord.

Personally, I’ve been reflecting on the ways fear and discouragement has affected my heart.  It’s sitting with the Lord and letting him reveal areas of complacency and apathy, while repenting for my ways and letting him renew my heart.

I don’t want to look back one day and think I built a ‘beautiful paneled house’ for myself, but neglected what He told me to steward. It’s wanting to build with wisdom and the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:1-12).

Here’s just a few reflection questions I’ve been sitting with:

What task has God assigned to me in this season to see the building up of His house?

Is there any fear or discouragement holding me back from doing so?

What selfish desires or ambitions do I need to let go of for the sake of building His house?