“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’” Haggai 1:2 NLT
To procrastinate is to put off doing something until later. Unless it’s for a good reason, procrastination could be disastrous even deadly. When knowing there is a need and we do not respond looking out for our interests first, a callous attitude towards others and the things of God will quickly develop. We’ll start making excuses and getting very astute in them. Soon it becomes all about us and only if we have time then we will help others and seek what God has for us to do for Him.
The returning exiles in Judah had gone back to their land after seventy years of captivity and were to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. They encountered some push back from people who had settled in the land and soon the work stopped. Over time the work of rebuilding God’s Temple was no longer important to them, but building their own homes and neighborhoods were. People started saying that it wasn’t time yet to get back to work. Perhaps the hostilities were still there, or we still have work to do securing our homes and farmland, or the economy may not be strong enough to support the effort, were likely excuses to procrastinate. The actual reason was they were selfish and did not care about the things of God.
As Christians when a need arises that the Lord God is directing our hands to the work, may we not procrastinate and say ‘it’s not time yet’ for I have things to do first. God knows our responsibilities and He will not direct us to a work we have no time for or incapable to perform. When the Lord calls, it is always time.
Word for the Soul 