LESS IS MORE
Opening Prayer
I thank You, my God for a hope that transcends the turbulence of this world.
Read Haggai 2:1–9
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
2 1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’
6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Footnotes:
a Haggai 2:2 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verse 4
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
Have circumstances ever made you feel shaken? “… we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28, NIV).The Lord Almighty speaks (4, 6-9), addressing the political and religious dignitaries, and his beleaguered people (2). With a voice that shakes “all nations” (7), he addresses their disillusionment (3–5). We have similar concerns. If God is God Almighty, why isn’t there more obvious evidence of his presence and power? Why is the church so weak and disjointed? God’s people recalled better days, when Solomon’s magnificent Temple was central to their worship (1 Kings 5–8). That was a sign of God’s greatness (2 Chronicles 2:5). What remains is nothing special (3).
Do you feel like that – stories of the past, seeming to outshine our meager experience? “Be strong,” says the Lord (4). How? Trust his commitment to his promises. Be reassured that he is with us (5). That means fixing our eyes afresh on Jesus, recalling all he is and has done (Hebrews 12:2). Refuse to gauge success by the usual means – size, glamour, power, profit. Rather, discern “glory” in the “treasures of all the nations” (7, NLT) being brought to the Temple (6–9). Witness its fulfillment in peoples of every culture and language who come to acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Apply
Have you become disillusioned? Do you know a disillusioned Christian? What promises of God can you hold onto today that can help to anchor your heart in God’s truth and trustworthiness?
Closing prayer
Jesus, I don’t always feel Your presence with me. But I trust that You are here. Be with me now.
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