give careful thought to your ways.

5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." (Haggai 1)

In every aspect of their lives, they were dissatisfied. No matter what they did, they didn't have enough and didn't accomplish as much as they had hoped for. They were living their lives with less than the bare minimums.

Why were their efforts amounting to nothing? Was it because they weren't trying hard enough? Did they not have the right attitude? Did they have the wrong motives? What was causing their failure?

Basically, they did not turn to God for anything. Without God, everything we do will be less than it can be and, likewise, more painful and dissatisfying than it has to be. I like how God reminded them and how He reminds us: "Give careful thought to your ways." Really consider what you're doing. Are your efforts amounting to anything?

hoping.

2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God. (Psalm 84)

I'm so, very tired. I just want to go home. God, grant me the strength I need to be the person You want me to be and the strength I need to do the things You desire me to accomplish. Don't let me give up. But always instill in me that deep, sincere longing to be with You and to reside with You in Your eternal courts...May that hope inspire me to forge ahead with courage and joy.

impossiblities.

37For nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1)

Seriously. Don't doubt it. Even in the hardest circumstances; especially in the hardest circumstances; you know exactly which ones I'm talking about...you need to have faith that God can do the things that we think to be impossible. Maybe not yet. Maybe we have a wait a bit. Still...we need to stop doubting and start trusting.

homework and chores.

2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours. (Psalm 128)

I am so lazy, so apathetic, so tired. I'm so worn out. I think about all the things that keep piling up on my list of things to do and I shudder. I get anxious and I get nervous. I dread with a dread that fills my day with despair...and yet, I don't get on the ball. I don't cease my listlessness. I don't halt my procrastination. I don't avoid my distractions. I just fret as if that is somehow producing anything. It's not.

We were meant to work hard, to labor with our hands and minds. If we reject the task at hand, we will ultimately gain nothing. However, if we work with the mentality of persistence and diligence, we will reap bounty. God will honor our labors if we do it with a heart of purity. Even if the task seems so meaningless like homework or chores, God wants us to do it with all our heart unto Him. With that said, I need to start finishing up my homework and chores. :)

get up.

14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down. (Psalm 145)

In the drudgery of life, we often feel so entirely low that we would rather fall down and never get up. With neither strength or hope, without confidence and determination, we just want to give up. But whether we are down because of our own choosing or whether life has just thrown us in such a desperate position, God is always there to pick us up...cheer us up...if we would just look up.

Looking ahead is oft times hard, especially from the view that is down in the murky mire; however, if we would just gaze our eyes heavenward, we will see a distinguishable glow that would shroud our apprehensions in a light. We won't see like we've been seeing; we will see life in a different way, a more positive way. And, God will take us by the hand and lift us up. We can't give up.

status.

5Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
"Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both small and great!"

(Revelation 19)

No matter what our status is on this earth, in the end, our purpose is to praise God. We should never be haughty and snobbish in this life; we should never think that we're better than anyone. This is a bad attitude. Likewise, we should never be ashamed of being a peon, either. There will always be people above us. We need to accept their leadership; however, God is the King of kings and Lord of Lords; He is the One whom we should worship and focus all our attention.

Status is such a strange concept. I get frustrated sometimes with people who think they're better than me and put me down. Politics are embedded in every sect of life...but in the end, it means nothing. All of it, titles and roles, and the like will all fade. What matters in this life is how we treat others. We serve. We love. We forgive. We need to live our lives not with a status mentality but with a kind and pure attitude.

weight.

"Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of [b] them. How then can we live?" (Ezekiel 33:10)

Often times I feel so burdened. There's so much that I carry. There are things from the past I can't seem to let go. There are things that haven't even come into fruition that I am so anxious about. And there are simply things I carry that are filled with pain, doubt, and uncertainty that weary me. They make me wonder how I can even live life especially if I dread it so much. If life is as terrible as I live it, is it even worth living? And if I begin to ask myself these kinds of questions, then I really ought to question what I am doing wrong. I know for a fact that the weight I carry is for one, a deliberate choice. And for two, the load I carry is filled with sin. Therefore, I choose to sin and consequently, I choose to
live this wretched life.

God doesn't want us to carry the load of sin. He wants us to give it up, but what is so enticing about a package of hurt and a potential explosive? What is so alluring about becoming exhausted from hauling unnecessary guilt, pain, and anxiety? If it's
not fun, which seems obvious, then why do we partake in such a task? One word: control. We like to carry our own weight. We like the feeling of holding our own, to our own demise.

Controlling something, even if it is our lives, if it leads to failure is clearly the wrong choice. We have a shepherd that wants to take care of us, in every possible way. We just have to allow Him to lead...allow Him to provide...and allow Him to take our burdens, and sometimes even carry us...