God takes small, imperfect things and makes them a habitation for its glory forever.

And all how we should take courage from that in our little spheres.

You may feel like you do nothing for the Lord. Maybe you should do more, but where you do what you do, take courage. You build more than you see, no matter what you do.

How can God's promise of glory encourage us in the smallness of our lives.

John Piper answers that question from the Old Testament Book of Hagai

in this episode of Light and Truth. This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on

November 28th, 1982.

Look at verses 4 through 6 of chapter 1. Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your

paneled houses while this house, he's referring to the temple, while this house lies in ruins

now therefore consider how you have fared or consider your ways

you have so much but 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, earns wages to put them in a bag with holes.

What a graphic picture of continual frustration and discontentment.

Nothing satisfies even though they're working hard to satisfy themselves.

And there's no way to pass over that lesson is there without feeling the application to us.

It's pretty simple to apply.

If you devote yourself to sewing and eating and drinking and clothing yourself and earning wages and neglect your ministry.

You're going to lead a life of perpetual frustration,

discontentment. If you wonder why everything goes sour in your life, nothing

ever quite satisfies fully, check out your priorities and see whether you're devoting yourself to your paneled house and

...