Mind the Helm

Mind the Helm

Haggai 1:5-6  “Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.  You have planted much, but 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.”

I have taken this text a little bit out of context but the Lord has impressed me with this Rhema Word for the churches today. At this time, He has specifically speaking, I believe, to the church in the UK.

“Give careful thought to your ways.” I wondered why the Lord would say this but the text has it all down in black and white.

“You have planted much, but harvested little. “ Programs, programs and more programs. This is one of Satan’s better weapons. If he can distract us into programs then he will distract us from the real work God is calling us to be doing for His Kingdom. Let me ask two questions of every program.

Firstly, what is the purpose of each program? If the program is little more than an exercise in salving our own consciences that we really are fulfilling the Great Commission, then it is of little value to God. If we have had to work twice as hard on money raising for the program than on the program itself, then, again, it cannot be too much of God for He provides for everything He asks us to do. Why do you think the programs started by the little churches, the poor churches, are usually outrageously successful when your well planned, well executed, and expensive programs actually and sadly achieve little or nothing.

Secondly, is it God’s program or man’s? I think maybe your answers to the first question will answer the second one quite well.

“You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. “ Where is the sacrificial giving, the sacrificial effort, the sacrificial time in your programs? If the answer is usually that there is no real sacrifice involved, then maybe – just maybe – we should question whether it is indeed a God-inspired program. You see, once again, the Lord will always provide for His programs and just sometimes this is one or two people putting a great deal of time into His program because He calls them to it and they gladly respond. You try, very hard, and sometimes too hard but you never seem to get the breakthrough you are praying so hard for. Ever wondered why? I think it is most likely that you are following man’s plans and schemes rather than God’s.

“You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” Many churches today are pouring money into programs that yield virtually nothing. It’s like catching rainwater in a colander. As much as is poured in, no matter how quickly, simply pours out again to little or no effect and certainly to no visible advantage to the project or program being financed.

So we return to the first statement, “Give careful thought to your ways.” I believe the Lord is saying to His church to consider carefully which programs you choose to support this coming year and to select only those with His obvious fingerprints on them. God is in the habit of closing and opening doors of opportunity not just for individuals but also for churches, denominations, and countries.

So I believe the Lord is saying to the church today – certainly in the UK and probably to the church in America too, “Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.  You have planted much, but 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.”

Time to mind the helm of all your plans. Time to re-examine them to see whose they really are – yours or God’s. 2013 is the year to do things God’s way for God’s Kingdom.