16 TONS

Haggai 1:1-8; Ps 149 The Lord takes delight in his people; Luke 9:7-9

The prophet Haggai speaks, "Now thus says the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways! you have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; you have drunk but have not been exhilarated, have clothed yourselves but have not been warmed; and whoever have earned wages earned them for a bag with holes in it."



Take a few moments or more than few and reread that exhortation from Haggai the prophet.  Doesn't it describes us, our life, our entry into the rat race.

How often are we not satisfied though we involve ourselves in so much?  We are so busy we so much and yet it seems to be unfulfilling.

We have worked so much and yet the bag has holes.
We have eaten so much yet remain hungry for something more.
We have drunk only to wake up with headaches but yet have not been thirsty for true life.

We have sown but so little we have to show for it.

What is the solution?  For Haggai it was to rebuild the temple, the house of God.

To live for someone greater than ourselves.

What about us?  Are we rebuilding the house of God daily in our life?

This reading remind me of the old hit, "16 tons."

IT goes something like this, "

"Some people say a man is made outta of mud
A poor man's made out of muscle and blood
muscle and blood and skin and bone
a mind that's  a-weak and a back that's strong

you load sixteen tons and what do yo get, what do yo get another day older and deeper in debt
Saint peter don't you call me cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store..."


Don't live as if you owe your soul to the material world, live like you owe it to God alone.