The people in Haggai’s day were having a tough time. No matter how hard they worked, they couldn’t seem to get ahead. They were trying to rebuild the temple, but they didn’t have any extra money to give toward the fund. They were spinning their wheels, and it seemed like everything was going wrong.

Haggai 1:6-9 says, “You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied. You drink, but you are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but no one is warm enough. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” The people were doing everything right, but they just couldn’t catch a break. Everything they tried failed.

It was at this point that God sent the prophet Haggai to tell the people that their problems were due to their own disobedience. They had been putting their own prosperity above God’s house. They were more concerned with taking care of themselves than they were with taking care of God’s house. When they should have been giving to the temple fund, they were hoarding their money instead. As a result, God was withholding his blessings from them. He was chastening them with hard times.

When we put our own prosperity above God’s house, we are blind to God’s chastening hand. We may not realize it, but our disobedience has consequences. We may not see the blessings that we could have had if we had been obedient. It’s important to remember that our first priority should be taking care of God’s house – not our own homes.

When we take care of God’s house, he will take care of us.