“You have sown much, and reap little. You eat, but are not satisfied; you drink, but are not satisfied. You clothe yourself, but no one is warmed. And he who earns wages puts them in a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:6).
Despite our hard work in this world, sometimes it seems that the results of our work are not completely satisfactory. In our more honest moments, we recognize the existence of longings and aspirations that show no sign of going away. This is true collectively (in societies), and also individually (individuals).
In Haggai 1:6, God used the analogy of a man who put his wages into a “bag with holes.” This man may believe in the power of positive thinking, but if his bag has a hole in it, it would be pointless to put more coins in it. And it is God who determines whether a particular bag will have a hole or not. It is not in our power to reach every goal we set (James 4:13-16). At any time, God can withhold the benefits we achieve from our goals (by burning a hole in our bags), so that, despite our energy and optimism, we are left with the feeling that we did not really get what we wanted.
Now think carefully. What is true about the specific activities of life is also true about life in general. When mankind rebelled against Him, God subjected the world to “futility” (Romans 8:20,21). That is, God set limits that prevented mankind from controlling everything it wanted to control, and from achieving everything it wanted to achieve. These limitations should be a constant reminder of man’s need for God. The fact that, in this world, there will always be “holes” in our “bags” does not mean that God is cruel. Rather, He allows us to experience this worldly dissatisfaction in order to draw us back to Himself.
In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses reminded Israel of the hunger God had allowed them to suffer in the wilderness: “And he humbled you, and allowed you to hunger, and made you eat manna, which you knew not, neither did your fathers know, that ye may know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
The sooner we understand this point, the sooner we will be prepared for the gospel. It will be a huge step forward when we see mankind – and ourselves – as being empty rather than full.
“We are all beggars, each in his own way” (Mark Twain).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
