always? all circumstances?

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
(1 Th 5:16-18). NIV

If ever there was a part of the Bible that confirms our need to discover how to continually fellowship with the Holy Spirit it is this one! You have probably discovered as well as me that its impossible to choose to be joyful or thankful all the time by your own will. It's only by drawing on the living reality of the Holy Spirit in us that these commands of Scripture can be fulfilled (but that's the whole gospel message anyway!).

Holy Spirit, help us to become more and more aware of your powerful presence with us, always... in all circumstances.

Zeal for your house...

Haggai 1:3-9
Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have 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."
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.

This Scripture was referenced by Catherine when she was speaking yesterday, Wes commented on it also, and it got my mind whirring…

The scenario that Haggai addresses is one where God’s people are working hard – they are planting, earning, eating and drinking yet their labours are not producing what should be the natural results. If you plant, you should harvest. If you put on clothes, its natural they should keep you warm, and how many times has it felt like the wages you earn are disappearing as though your wallet had holes in it?

These are the symptoms. The root cause was that the people had prioritised their own houses above the house of the Lord. We could write much, but for now this thought is enough:

Where are our priorities?

According to this prophetic word spoken by Haggai, success in the affairs of our own house is directly related to our prioritisation of the things of God’s house (“he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” Matt 6:33).