Is It Time to Rebuild What We’ve Neglected?
After decades of walking with the Lord, raising a family, serving in the church, and walking with women through seasons of joy and hardship, I have come to treasure the quiet but powerful work God does when women gather around His word. Recently, our Tuesday Morning Bible study spent several weeks in the book of Haggai—a short, often overlooked prophetic book—and yet its message could not be more-timely for women today.
Haggai speaks to the Israelites after their return from exile. They had begun rebuilding the temple but soon lost focus. Life felt busy, they were met with opposition and resources were limited. Personal responsibilities seemed pressing. So, they shifted their attention to their own homes and priorities while the house of the Lord remained in ruins. Through the prophet, God asked a piercing question: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (Haggai 1:4).
As I read those words, I couldn’t help but see the parallels in our own lives. We may not be rebuilding a physical temple, but we are called to prioritize God’s presence and purposes above the endless demands competing for our attention. Careers, grandchildren, aging parents, our own health, friends, household management, even ministry are all good things. Yet if we are not asking and following how God wants us to prioritize our time, they can crowd out the very relationship that sustains us.
Over the years, I have watched women (me included) arrive at study feeling spiritually dry, emotionally burdened, or unsure of their next step. But something sacred happens when we open Scripture together. Walls come down. Wisdom is shared. Prayers are lifted. Courage is renewed. Like the remnant in Haggai’s day, we hear God’s call to “give careful thought to your ways” (1:5), and we gently help one another realign our priorities.
What I love most about Haggai is the people’s response. Scripture tells us they obeyed the voice of the Lord, and God stirred their spirits. Notice that word—stirred. Only God can awaken hearts that have grown weary. Yet He often chooses to do that stirring within community.
We need each other. Spiritual growth happens best in community not isolation. Younger women remind me to expect God to move in fresh ways. Women my age testify to His lifelong faithfulness. Older women show me that the calling remains the same even if the methods in which we minister may change a bit. Together, we become living stones, participating in the greater work God is building.
If you have ever wondered whether attending Bible study really matters, let Haggai answer that question. When God’s people gathered, listened, and obeyed, the work resumed—and God promised, “I am with you.” Those four words change everything.
So, my encouragement to everyone, especially to the women who feel too busy or too tired, is this: come anyway. You do not need perfect knowledge or polished prayers - only a willing heart. When we make room for God, He faithfully meets us there. And who knows? Your presence might be exactly what God uses to stir someone else.