I know of a church that has desperately needed to expand for a number of years. Many of the members have had a desire to build for quite some time and are ready to press ahead with the project. There are others, however, who believe that because the church hasn't been able to raise the full amount necessary to pay for the project, the timing isn't right.

When doing God's work, the issue of His will and timing is a very important one. The Israelites in Haggai's day faced such an issue in the rebuilding of the temple. After years of captivity in Babylon, they returned to Jerusalem. With God's instructions, they began the project (about 15 years prior to Haggai's prophecy). But then, because of fear and intimidation, they quit (Ezra 4). As days and years went by, they excused their inaction by saying that the timing wasn't right (Haggai 1:2). Nonsense! The real problem was that they were too busy increasing their own comfort—building and living in their own "paneled houses" (1:4)—to give any time or effort to constructing the house of God.

How careful we must be to avoid becoming so absorbed in building our own "houses" (physical or financial) that we ignore the work of God. Let us always seek to do His work in His time and according to His instructions.  — David C. Egner