Empty Pockets
Saturday, February 20, 2021
by Dr. Paul Chappell
Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
Haggai 1:3-6
An archaeological excavation near Masada, site of the final battle in the Israeli war of rebellion against Rome in AD 72, turned up an ancient papyrus fragment that details the pay of a soldier named Gaius Messius. He served in the legion that besieged the mountain fortress, and for his service he was paid the sum of 50 denarri. However, like most Roman soldiers of the day, he was also responsible for many of his living expenses. When he summed up the deductions from his pay for food, clothing, and equipment, those also totaled 50 denarri—meaning that his net pay was zero. All of his efforts and labors had not produced anything for Gaius Messius to keep.
When we work without regard for the things of God, we will find that whatever money we may earn will not be enough to satisfy our desires or even meet some needs. But when we labor for Him first and foremost, putting His will and His kingdom ahead of our own desires, we have His promise that He will meet our needs. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). Furthermore, no service for Christ, however great or small, will ever go unnoticed or unrewarded in God’s eyes. Jesus said, “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward” (Mark 9:41). God’s rewards are not temporal; they are eternal, and they are meaningful.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Focus on the things of this world will always lead to disappointment and disillusionment. Living for what is eternal leads to joy and peace.