Hearing God’s Voice from His Word
James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Take a moment and turn your attention to God. Tell God that you desire to trust and obey Him. Ask God to speak to you from His word.
Psalm of the Day
Psalm 22:21-24
But you, Lord, don’t be far away.
My strength, come quickly to help me.
20 Rescue my life from the sword,
my only life from the power of these dogs.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth,
from the horns of wild oxen.
You answered me!
22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
I will praise you in the assembly.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
All you descendants of Israel, revere him!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
the torment of the oppressed.
He did not hide his face from him
but listened when he cried to him for help.
Read the Entire Psalm
Lord do not be far away. Rescue me. Save me. These are the Psalmist prayers. How does he respond when God answers his prayers? “I will proclaim your name. I will praise you.” He responds with praise and he urges others to do the same. Praise God because he answers prayers.
Scripture Reading
Haggai 2:10-19 – New International Version
Blessings for a Defiled People
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’”
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”
“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.”
14 Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
15 “‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. 16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.
“‘From this day on I will bless you.’”
Having God’s Ear through Prayer
- Express thanks to God.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you.
- Confess your sin to Him and receive forgiveness.
(1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins.”) - Bring your personal requests to God.
(Psalm 62:8 “Pour out your heart before God”) - Pray for someone in your small group.
- Join with others from River and pray for Sarah. Ask God to encourage her, use her, and guide her as she serves overseas.
Living as God’s People by applying the Bible
Scripture Reflection from the Sermon
Haggai claims that the Israelites have been unclean. He doesn’t give us any details about why, specifically, the people have been unclean, but the most obvious reason, given Haggai’s prophecy in chapter one, is that they had delayed so long in rebuilding the Temple. Ezra tells us that, although they had quit rebuilding the Temple sixteen years prior, they had managed to get an altar built at the Temple site before they quit (Ezra 3:1-7). Thus, we presume that, in the sixteen-year gap before Haggai prophesied, the Israelites were doing the religious activity of offering sacrifices on the altar, but living in disobedience by leaving the Temple in ruins. They were going through the religious motions but, because of their disobedience, their sacrifices were unclean before God.
We, too, can get caught up in going through the religious motions while having a heart that has strayed from true obedience and worship. We must remember that we cannot be covered by the cleanness and righteousness of Jesus through association with Christian activities. Jesus, alone, makes us clean. Jesus, alone, makes us righteous. We must come to Him personally, fall on our face, and plead, “Lord, if you will, make me clean” (Luke 5:12-13).
Jesus’ sacrifice cleanses us once and for all, but we must still practice a rhythm of coming to Him, confessing our sin, and being restored by His forgiveness. Remember your dependence on Jesus this morning. Humble yourself. If you need to confess any sin to Him, do so. Remember that He is faithful and just to cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).