A Contractor for His House

This week in my devotional time, I was lead to read from Haggai. In chapter 1, verses 7-9, I read, "This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house."
These verses convicted me, for I have been "busy with my own house," failing to build the house of my Lord. My life has been more important, for I have given my Lord whatever I had left over; which is never much. Although keeping to a form of devotional time and study, my life has certainly been my focus and concern. He has shown me this week, that in failing to build His house, I am missing out on blessings, spiritual ones for sure, but perhaps also temporal blessings.
Being convicted that I needed to get to work on His house, I prayed that His house would be my first thought and energy focus, and that I would be given the time necessary to build it. I have heard before, "Be careful what you pray for, He might give it to you." Well, whether in answer to my prayer or not; Wednesday I woke up violently sick with a stomach flu, there was no going to school that day!! Then Thursday my stomach was better, but I was down with a sore throat, which I still have today. My Lord granted me lots of extra time this week to study Him, and relax in His word. I pray that His house will always be my focus, and I will not miss out by being caught up in my own house.