Does your wallet have holes? It may seem that way! The Bible uses exactly that sort of picture to describe our personal finances. Our wages “go into a bag full of holes,” says the prophet Haggai. (Haggai 1:6)
With our finances tight, there is not much available to give for God. We would like to do more for God’s purposes, but we are just not in a position to do so right now. So said the people of Israel in the days of Haggai.
Haggai said they had everything backwards. They imagined that they needed to get their own house in order first, and then they could devote resources toward “God’s house.” But as long as they neglected God’s house, said Haggai, they would never get their own houses in order! What they needed to do was to put God first. Only then would the rest of the elements of life fall into the proper place.
Jesus carries this teaching further. He calls us to a trusting commitment to God that will free us for generous giving. As we give of ourselves for God’s purposes, we no longer are just putting our wages into a bag full of holes; but we create, in Jesus’ words, “purses that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven.” (Luke 12:33)
In the days of Haggai, the Scripture says that “God stirred up the spirit of the people.” (Haggai 1:14) They devoted themselves to rebuilding the temple, which had long lay in ruins. In the end, they created a marvelous center of worship, which would stand for more than half a millennium, and would one day be a place where Jesus would teach.
May God stir our spirits today, that we may devote ourselves toward “building God’s house,” and truly create treasures that last!
Sunday’s Scripture Readings
Haggai 1:2–14
Luke 12:32–34
