Look at your life

Today: Haggai

Yesterday I was in close proximity to one of the most tragic events ever. I wasn't sure I should write about it, but I think it's too important NOT to write about.

In the middle of the morning, I noticed colleagues gathering around the windows of our office building. They described seeing a dead body on the street, surrounded by a pool of blood. A man's dead body was in front of a nearby parking garage.

Was he hit by a car?

No cars were nearby.

Was it a hit and run accident?

No.

We quickly learned that this man's death was not caused by either one of these tragedies. Apparently, the man jumped from a high level of the parking garage--on purpose.

I am not an expert. I don't know what it feels like to be in such a place of hopelessness. Personally, I couldn't even look out the windows. I did not want mental pictures of this tragedy imprinted on my mind.

I don't know anything about the deceased man, but as the scene unfolded and I watched the reactions of others, I couldn't help but wonder: What separates us from suicide?

That may sound like a strange question, but I think most people, at some point or another, feel that their lives are futile. They feel sad or stuck in a rut or lonely--but they don't jump. Why?

Today's passage shed some interesting light on this topic. Take a look at God's Word to His people here:

"Take a good, hard look at your life.
Think it over.
You have spent a lot of money,
but you haven't much to show for it.
You keep filling your plates,
but you never get filled up.
You keep drinking and drinking and drinking,
but you're always thirsty.
You put on layer after layer of clothes,
but you can't get warm.
And the people who work for you, what are they getting out of it?
Not much— a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that's what.

That's why God-of-the-Angel-Armies said:

"Take a good, hard look at your life.
Think it over."

Then God said: "Here's what I want you to do:
Climb into the hills and cut some timber.
Bring it down and rebuild the Temple.
Do it just for me.
Honor me.
You've had great ambitions for yourselves,
but nothing has come of it...

The beginning of this excerpt points to the emptiness of lives without a sense of purpose, love or honor for God. It's about people whose lives are focused on themselves, stuff and temporary highs.

The ambitions that seem so great are actually empty--but when we honor God, our lives are enriched.

It's interesting that in this passage, God talks to His people about how He wants to be honored: by giving to His House.

He doesn't just say to the people, "Love me. Pray. Sing me some songs." (Though in other Scriptures, it's clear God does want our love and worship). Here, He asks His people to give of their wealth to rebuild His House. God knows that our money represents our time and talent--and that we spend money on what we value. Part of God's righteous anger was because His House was in ruins while the peoples' homes were overflowing with riches--it just wasn't right to Him.

God doesn't want us to live empty lives--He doesn't want anyone to live without hope because He IS hope! God created us to live abundant adventures. However, this kind of living happens when we stop living solely for ourselves, when we honor Him first, give and hope for a greater purpose.

Tomorrow: Zechariah 1-7

Designated spaces for God

Today: Ezekiel 43-45

"Ahh...my own space!"

Have you ever thought that?

As I'm typing this, I'm sitting in one of my own favorite spaces--a corner of my room with a comfy chair and ottoman, perfect for reading and writing.

I also have that feeling when I drive down my street (particularly in the fall) and see my tree-lined road. I feel calm and at home. Simultaneously, I have a sense of pride like, "This is MY street!" or "How cool! That reading corner is designed just for ME!"

When I read today's passage, I pictured God having the same feeling. I bet that He has a special pride of ownership and comfort in the spaces designed to welcome Him. I believe God is present everywhere, but my hunch is that there are some places where He likes to linger.

Similarly, I think that designated spaces for God are not necessarily churches (or the Temple described in today's passage). Case in point: Designated giving to God's House. Chapter 45 describes God's instructions for His people to contribute offerings out of their harvest. The interesting thing about God's economic system? All of the people were told to sacrifice equally--based on a portion of what they had. The amounts they gave were different, but each person was instructed to give "one-sixtieth part" of their wheat, for example. God is all-powerful and owns everything anyway--but He likes the designated space in "our" wallets and purses.

I'll be extra clear in this post and say that God wants ALL of our hearts and lives. In this post about designated space for God, I'm not saying that we should keep God away from some parts of our lives--He sees and knows it all anyway!

There's a difference between opening your life to God and setting aside certain things for Him. Perhaps it's similar to marriage: There's a difference between a husband saying to his wife, "You know my life is an open book to you--you can call me anytime or ask me anything" versus the husband who says those words and then goes the extra mile to designate special time for his wife--perhaps by planning an amazing date.

With that in mind, I'll close this post with a question: What are some other examples of "space" we can designate for God in our lives?

Tomorrow: Ezekiel 46-48

The holy, the ordinary and a vision

Today: Ezekiel 40-42

Have you ever had a dream that felt crystal clear?

What if that dream was from God?

In today's passage, the prophet Ezekiel was given a very detailed vision...by God. God showed him the ins and outs of a new temple while the old one lied in ruins. As I read it, I noticed the clarity of Ezekiel's vision--measurements and rooms and even plants are described.

The part of the vision that stood out most to me appeared at the end describing the walls of the Temple:

The walls separated the holy from the ordinary.

It's a simple line, but it says a lot. At the time this passage was written, walls separated mankind from God--but the walls weren't just made of stone or bricks. Ordinary men and women were separated from God by walls of sin that they couldn't overcome--no matter how hard they tried. The holy and the ordinary were separated for centuries, even in this vision.

It was only hundreds of years later when the holy met the ordinary...in a Bethlehem stable. And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, today, the holy can meet the ordinary anywhere. You and I can have direct relationships with God--not separated by walls or guilt or any kind of barrier. The holy can meet the ordinary in a cubicle, car, church or cabin in the woods. Wow!

Tomorrow: Ezekiel 43-45

Security!

Today: 1 Chronicles 25-27

If you think of places where security guards are present at every entrance, I would guess that church wouldn't be at the top of your list.

Over the past few weeks...okay, over the past 24 hours...I've experienced the fact that security guards are present at airports and borders. They guard famous sites like Buckingham Palace. They guard precious materials--like those found at Tiffany & Company. But most churches today don't have security guards at every single entrance during every single moment of the day.

That's why I was a little taken aback to read about them in today's Old Testament passage. It's only been a (relatively) recent phenomenon over the past few hundred years ago to have constant, thorough security at borders and jewelry shops. Yet thousands of years ago, God designated people to monitor the security of His House. Why?

From a practical standpoint, I guess we could argue that it was guarded heavily because of its value...the Temple in the Old Testament had WAY more precious metal than all of Donald Trump's properties put together. But I also wonder if God appointed security for the Temple to make a statement to the Israelites about its non-monetary value? Perhaps He wanted His House to be highly respected and revered, protected, treasured and safe.

Do you feel that way about God's House today?

It's an interesting question and train of thought. Let's be clear: I'm not prescribing that your church needs full-time security staff (just say "no" to Paul Blart-like characters...trust me) :) or a decor style that The Donald would approve. However, part of me wonders if people today have lost that sense of awe and value for God's House. More importantly, I wonder if we've lost those feelings about His presence?

Your church may not be Buckingham Palace or Tiffany's, but do you treasure it? Do you value the beauty of its people, worship and message? Do you enter with an excited, awe-filled heart, like a kid visiting Disneyland or the airport and wondering, "Will I get to meet God here today? Really?!?" I hope so.

Tomorrow: 1 Chronicles 28-2 Chronicles 1

It's His house, after all...

Today: Exodus 25-27

When you own your first home, you take a special kind of pride in it. I remember when my sister and I bought our house about five years ago--it felt like such a big accomplishment! I'll be clear--we weren't rich by most North American standards...she worked at a non-profit and I was just beginning my career in marketing. We were both single women under the age of 25. We saved our money, tried to spend wisely and were able to buy our home without borrowing a dime from our parents.

I remember the first summer we were in the house. It felt different to mow the lawn because it was our lawn. It felt awesome to fix things like light fixtures in the house--because it was our house. And it felt amazing to decorate our home for Christmas for the first time--just the way we liked it. (I still feel that way about decorating...not so much about lawn mowing.) :)

When I read today's passage, it reminded me of that feeling. God gave instructions for His people to set up His house--just the way He liked it. Today's chapters also reminded me of what we learned yesterday: God is into details. He provided very specific guidelines for the design and construction of His house and all the key elements included (I kind of felt like I was reading the first edition of "Building God's house: For dummies"!).

Reading these chapters illustrated God's value for excellence. He likes it when people give their absolute best for Him--via their offerings, hearts and skills. Honestly, if anyone deserves our best, it's Him. And if any place should be a place of excellence, it should be a church--because it's His house, after all.

Tomorrow: Exodus 28-29