Self-Made or God-Made?
““This is what Yahweh of Armies says: These people say, ‘The time hasn’t yet come, the time for Yahweh’s house to be built.’” Then Yahweh’s word came by Haggai, the prophet, saying, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies waste? Now therefore this is what Yahweh of Armies says: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don’t have enough. You drink, but you aren’t filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it.”” (Haggai 1:2-6 WEB)
Sometimes with a fast pace of life, it is easy to confuse much activity with productivity. We need to pause and consider, “Am I just desperately toiling by the flesh because of fear, or am I being led by the Spirit?”
Only the Holy Spirit can give you the kind of restful increase and fruitfulness that the children of Israel enjoyed. They stepped into the land of Canaan and possessed houses, orchards and land that they did not build, plant or labor for.
“It shall be, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and goodly cities, which you didn’t build, and houses full of all good things, which you didn’t fill, and cisterns dug out, which you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive trees, which you didn’t plant, and you shall eat and be full; then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Deuteronomy 6:10-12 WEB)
God had prepared the way for them, allowing the strong giants (the Anakim) of the land to build cities and towns for Israel, before giving Israel victory over the natives.
God gave them favor without the labor.
The world has people who call themselves ‘self-made men’, and they take credit for their achievements because they strived and sacrificed to get them. Lots of loss and compromise before getting something transient.
In the way of faith, it is impossible to boast about the good things we receive because the supernatural results cannot be justified by human effort. When God supplies fruitfulness, it is above and beyond what we think is possible.
Do you want to take credit for your achievements as a ‘self-made person’ and smile in public while you are crying from all the stress, loss and suffering in private, or do you want God to do all the heavy lifting and you just enjoy restful increase?
You have a loving, powerful, prosperous Heavenly Father who wants to take care of all your needs. Trust Him and receive everything you need by faith.
Learn and apply the way of miracle-working faith to enjoy supernatural fruitfulness: https://www.ko-fi.com/s/0db846b58c
