DO IT NOW!
Opening Prayer
I thank You, my Jesus, that You meet all my needs.
Read Haggai 1:1–15
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
A Call to Build the House of the Lord
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest:
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.
The Promised Glory of the New House
In the second year of King Darius,
Footnotes:
a Haggai 1:1 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verses 12 and 14
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“Now none but Christ can satisfy, none other name for me” (hymn lyrics, anonymous). Is this your experience?Journalist Victoria Lambert created the 30-day decluttering challenge. Throw out one item on day one, two things on day two… 30 days later you’ve given away, sold or recycled 465 unneeded items. It’s about clarifying priorities.
That challenge faced those returning from exile in Babylon: “Give careful thought to your ways” (5, 7). Stop and examine your priorities: the clutter in your lives is impeding your worship. Your homes look great (4), but take a look at my house. It’s in ruins (4). The people’s work on rebuilding the Temple had stalled for 16 years. The right time to put the Lord first never seemed to materialize (2). Don’t wait to cover all the bases before moving into action.
The consequence of their wrong choices was dissatisfaction, not contentment (6, 9–11). Jesus says: “Seek the kingdom first” (Matthew 6:25–34), because focusing on anything else cannot nurture us, but only disappoint. Wrong priorities only bring anxiety. Meantime we miss the blessings God intends for us. The allocation of our money, time and effort needs to be guided by the question: What will bring pleasure and honor to the Lord (8)?
Apply
The people felt dismayed (“afraid”, 12) when they heard the Word of the Lord, instantly recognizing their error. Is there any immediate action you should take in response to God’s Word?
Closing prayer
Spirit of God, convict my heart and align my life with Your priorities.
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