The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Haggai 1-2
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 9: Return: God Delivers His People Again
Background Information: Haggai 1-2
Haggai, Zerchariah, and Malachi preached to the post exile Jewish people. Most of their predecessors had preached of the coming judgment and exile. Now these three preached of a new day dawning after that judgment had run its course. Rebuilding the city and the temple were to be the priority of the people in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. However, the everyday cares of this life quickly choked out those priorities. It was not their fault that they were forced to stop the rebuilding of the temple, but they had allowed that initial setback to become the potential of permanent apathy. Fortunately, unlike their pre-exile ancestors, the people responded favorably to the word of God through Haggai. They were roused from their spiritual lethargy as their fear of the Lord was revealed in their obedient actions. However, only a month later, the people became discouraged. They had responded to Haggai’s initial rebuke, and now what they needed was a word of encouragement. As they began to see that what they were building was inferior to the former temple, they felt that their efforts were pointless. This is what happens when we compare our lives, work, and ministry to that of others. We are to be faithful; comparison of this kind is foolish and will take us off track. The call to faithfulness includes three clear commands: be strong, work, and don’t be afraid. Be strong means to let God pour courage into your hearts. It means to trust him, have faith, and be encouraged. This courage of the Lord will lead to faithful effort. This is not about trying to feel strong, but it is about right thinking. The thoughts we allow to shape our minds are the ones we are allowing to direct our lives. We don’t choose every thought that comes into our minds, but we must choose the thoughts that we allow to stay. Haggai preached truth to the people; that truth was embraced and believed, and it showed up in their behavior. Notice that Haggai’s call to courage and action had a future focus. Ultimately, what they were doing was not just building a second-class temple. The future glory of this temple would far exceed that of the first. This is the temple that the Lord Jesus would visit. This is the temple that he would replace with his own glorious life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Be strong, work, and don’t give in to fear. Those three commands remain relevant until the Lord’s return.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for the tension in the our nation. Ask God to use us to bring gospel clarity and hope to those we interact with.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.