Support-raising lessons from Haggai

After taking time to pray and prepare for support-raising, I officially began contacting churches and individuals two weeks ago. Today I had the opportunity to have my first official support-raising meeting; I met my church missions committee to discuss my calling to Portland and vision for PSU. Please be in prayer for them as they make decisions in the next week or so about how the Lord may lead Concord to support me next year and be a part of the immeasurably more that I know God has in store for Portland!

Before the meeting, I was rather nervous and shaky, just because I was unsure of how the meeting would go seeing how it was my first. This morning, I was in a hurry to prepare for our meeting, so rather than read in the Minor Prophets like I have been in my regular Bible study, I only read a Psalm. Though that was very encouraging, I knew I needed to spend some more time with the Lord before going into the support-raising meeting. The Lord brought to mind that I was supposed to be in Haggai this morning as well as the Psalm and said, "Read Haggai." And as many of you might think as well, I was sitting there thinking, "Haggai?! Out of all the books in the Bible, I'm supposed to read Haggai?"

But let me tell you, I think Haggai might just be one of my favorite books of the Bible, now! Because Haggai rocked my world!

At first, it was really discouraging, because the people of Israel aren't listening and so the Lord is telling them He's going to take all their wealth away in chapter 1. And so I was sitting there wondering what in the world the Lord was trying to do. But then I got to chapter 2! I'd like to share verses 4b-9 with you:

"'...be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' “For thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this place with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

From these verses, the Lord reminded me that I needed to take my focus off of me and my needs and focus on the ministry He has called me to and His glory! And why need I worry about His glory? His glory as the Great I AM is already in existence--always has been and always will be!

That is my confidence. He will never lose the glory. He can't. He IS Glory.

The Great I AM.

Praise Him with me, won't you?