Does God use frustrations in life to awaken and/or punish us?
Haggai 1:6 - 9
ESV - 6 You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. 7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.
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Asked July 01 2013
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Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Sharon Jenkins
I do believe that when we do not live according to the word of God and be disobedient and have sinful ways that God will encounter some frustrations upon us. We are his children and he loves us, when we continue to live outside of his ways and his word we will suffer some hard ship in our life's. As a child your earthly father and or mother had to teach you right from wrong and when you disobeyed them there was some displine put in place in order for you to live right. God does the same. He just try and show his mercy,grace and love upon us. God do not like to punish us but he will.
Cathy Idowu
I've read this verse many times. I believe the root of it is what is consistent with all of scripture. God wants to be first in our lives. In fact, His action towards them was a blessing. He was redirecting them to put Him first. He had told them that He caused them to hunger and thirst in the wilderness that they might KNOW that man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. He assured them of successful living IF they would do this. Later on, when Solomon built the temple, to usher in the presence of God to dwell in the midst of the people, He prayed that when his people would petition Him from the temple, that God would hear and answer and forgive their sins. In the book of Haggai, you see God's people trying to live successful on their own terms. Living without a need for the constant presence of God. But God in His love for them redirects them to put Him first. The tone in which He speaks to them through Zerrubabbel is more correctional rather than punishment.