I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  --Hebrews 10:23

I am tired.

I'm tired of being broke.

I'm tire of feeling overwhelmed.

I'm tired of being tired.

You, too?  Then let's do something about it.  Turn to Haggai chapter 2, and read verses 10 through 19.

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai:  "This is what the Lord Almighty says:  Ask the priests what the law says:  If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?"  The priest answered, "No."  Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?"  The priest replied, "Yes, it becomes defiled."  Then Haggai said, "So it is with this people and this nation in my sight, declares the Lord.  Whatever they do and whatever they offer is defiled.

Now give careful thought to this from this day on--consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord's temple.  When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten.  When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.  I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord.  From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid.  Give careful thought:  Is there yet any seed left in the barn?  Until now, the vine and fig tree, the pomegranite and the olive tree have not borne fruit.  From this day on I will bless you."  Haggai 2:10-19

 God's message through Haggai to the people was to encourage them in building the Temple that had fallen into ruin during the Babylonian exile.  He acknowledged that the people were banging their heads against the wall--despite their best efforts, they experienced "blight, mildew and hail."  When they went to the grain silo to draw out twenty measures of grain, there was only ten, and when they went to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures of wine, there was only twenty.  Sounds like my bank account!  Can I get a witness?

What is the remedy, then?  Here are three things that I am resolved to do, from this day forward, to make a way for the blessings of God.  I don't think He promised that any of us would be rich, or that we would be powerful, or smart, or good looking.  I do think He wants us to be blessed.  If we resolve to do these three things, from this day forward, we can open up the floodgates of God's blessing to us.

Consecration
What do you think Haggai meant when he asked the priests about the consecrated meat in his pocket?  He asked them if his clothes were to touch other food or drink, does that food or drink become consecrated by magically touching you?  The answer is no.  But what about the opposite?  If you are holding consecrated meat, and you touch something unclean (in this case a dead body), then does it become unclean?  Yes, because the unclean thing has touched me, and I am touching the consecrated meat.

It's like someone eating at a restaurant.  Let's say he is Jewish, and he orders a kosher meal.  Let's also say that he has a severe a peanut allergy.  If the kosher dish touches a peanut butter pie, the pie will not become kosher automatically.  But if the peanut butter pie gets on the kosher meal, the fellow will almost certainly get sick.

Confused?  Let's go back to the Levitical law.  The Levites, or priestly clan, did not have land or cattle or sheep.  They could not farm.  Their job was to look after the Temple and the Temple grounds.  When the other tribes brought animal sacrifices to the Temple to offer to God, the meat was consecrated to God.  The Levites got to eat it, because they did not have any cattle of their own.  There were also grain offerings, and wine offerings, so that the Levites could have a well-rounded diet. (Well, that wasn't the only reason, but it was a by-product of obedience).

So if a person brought a sacrifice, and one of the Levites took some of the meat home in his pocket, it stayed consecrated (holy, set apart) as long as the Levite was holy and set apart.  If the Levite became unclean (by touching a dead carcass, or coming into contact with someone with a skin infection, or even by touching a woman while she is on her period).

What does this mean to me?  I believe that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 6:19).  If I willfully bring sin onto my body, or into my mind, then I am making God's temple (me) unclean.  The Holy Spirit is therefore muzzled, or kept from blessing me completely.  If I want to give God free reign in my life, then I need to repent, crucify myself daily, and follow him.  Whatever he has convicted me of, I need to cull out, cut off, and cast away.

Careful Thought
Haggai encouraged the people to meditate on this: When the foundation of the Temple was laid, God's blessings began to pour out abundanty on them.  The cornerstone was set, and then they were to sow seeds in anticipation of a bumper crop.  No longer would they suffer blight, mildew and hail.  Those days were over.  They were to mark their calendars--from this day forward they were to remember that when the foundation of the Temple was laid, their curse was lifted and their blessings began.

In the New Testament, Jesus is compared to the "cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20).  He was "the stone that the builders rejected" (Matthew 21:24; Acts 4:11).  The world is under a curse, because they have rejected the foundation.  Their houses are built on sand (Matthew 7:26); ours is built on the rock, which is Jesus.

Each day we should carefully consider the time that we gave our hearts to Him.  Remember the day.  Remember the conviction you felt, the need that only He could fulfill.  Remember the life you have built on that rock, that foundation.  Do not go back to the days when you were lost, when you were stuck in your sin.  Do not return to your sinful past, or look back longingly on those times before you heard His still, small voice.

Be careful what you allow to cross your mind.  "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8).

Calendars Marked
Finally, Haggai encouraged the people to note the date.  From this date forward, they could expect great things.  From this date forward, as long as they were faithful.  From this day forward, they were consecrated.  From this day forward, they were to give careful thought.

I first read this passage, and meditated on it, and God gave me this message, on May 5.  Cinco de Mayo.  If you look up the significance of Cinco de Mayo, it commemorates a battle in which the Mexican army surprisingly overcame the French forces in 1862. It is not the Mexican Independence Day, as some would assume.  It is a commemoration of a battle, one of many throughout history.  Otherwise, Cinco de Mayo is no different than Quatro de Mayo or Seis de Mayo.

For me, however, the date has taken on greater significance.  On the fifth of May, I consecrated my home to the Lord.  It is like the Temple of God.  Since the Spirit of God lives in me, I am like the Holy of Holies within the Temple.  I have vowed to keep out anything that may defile my Temple, and to guard against any wilfull sin that I may fall into.  I am resolved to keep myself holy and set apart.  If I do sin, I have an Advocate with the Father, who is the Spirit of God.  I can be forgiven, and can start the process of consecration all over again.  But the point is that I will carefully consider the Foundation that was laid for me in Christ, and consecrate myself in His Name for His sake.

This will be a blessing in itself.  Any additional blessings that God wants to give me once I yield wholly to his Holy Spirit is, well, icing on the cake.