Word: Haggai

I forget almost everything. Ask my wife, she'll confirm it. I'll know that I need to get three things at the grocery store when I leave the house and by the time I'm there, I'll have forgotten two of them, although I never forget that I want potato chips. After reading Haggai, it seems that I'm a bit like the ancient Israelites (yet again!) in this way. According to Haggai, the Israelites can easily remember their wants but have forgotten that they are children of Yahweh.

Who's got time to pray when there's so much yard work to do?

Haggai talks about how the Israelites have ignored the temple of God and let it fall to ruins. At the same time they've spent a lot of time and energy getting three car garages and white picket fences in the front yard of their houses in the suburbs. They had forgotten God... again. I'm sure it didn't seem like a big deal at first. Maybe they skipped worship so they could stay home and finish assembling the the swingset in the backyard for the kids. After all, God loves children, right? Next thing you know, their lawns are more well kept than their hearts.

Forgetting to Remember

For me, it's easiest to remember God when the Job hits the fan and easiest to forget him when I'm livin' large like King Solomon (minus the concubines). He's there when I need him. Just like a mechanic or a doctor. Every once in a while I need a service, so I call him up and make an appointment, get what I need and I'm on my way. Apparently, God doesn't just want to be a service provider, but rather wants a loving relationship. Unfortunately, I easily forget that... but I always remember my potato chips.

Can I be Frank?

For all the design geeks out there, I want to mention that I got inspiration for this design from the work of the great Frank Chimero. If you remotely like this design, check out Frank's site to see much better work than mine.