In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: “The Lord of Hosts says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.” The word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?” Now, the Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully about your ways: You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough to be satisfied. You drink but never have enough to become drunk. You put on clothes but never have enough to get warm. The wage earner puts his wages into a bag with a hole in it. You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why? Because My house still lies in ruins while each of you is busy with his own house.” Haggai 1:1-6, 9
My words…
Praise
The other day I was listening to a podcast, and an unbeliever referred to You as a needy, attention-seeking, egotistical, worship-craving deity. Hearing those words made me want to find a sling, five smooth stones, and her address. (Not very loving. I know.) She used passages such as this as foundation for her belief. A remnant of Israel returned to Jerusalem tasked with rebuilding Your temple, but they said, “Now is not the time.” So they built houses for themselves instead. They expected their lives to be a cake-walk. They were no longer captives. They were back in their hometown. They were in charge of their own lives, by golly. But no matter what they did or how hard they worked, life was not a cake-walk. Why? Because You made sure it wasn’t. And that is what bothers unbelievers. You do not bless those who seek You second or third or never. You desire to be first in the hearts of Your believers. It’s who You are. You know that if we do not place You first in our lives, we will, on our own, skip and dance our way to destruction. You see the evil we do not. You, who created time, who can see the past, present, and future, must endure Your children chucking Your plan because it doesn’t fit in our timetable. And that bothers You, the God of Love. So You stand in our way. You place obstacles in our path so we will veer toward You. You never stop working for us. You never stop loving us. Never. And that does not sound like a needy, attention-seeking, egotistical, worship-craving deity to me.
Prayer for me
Help me be a reflection of You when I am in the company of those who scorn and mock You. Pour on me a measure of Your Spirit so I may speak Your words and not my own.
Forgive me
Forgive me for the myriad times when I said, “Now is not the time” to You. Like the Israelites, I often desire to take care of my needs first. I keep a list of what I want to get done, and You get what’s left over when I’m finished. It seems as if this behavior should be unforgivable, but of course, with You it isn’t.
Prayer for others
I pray for those who see You as a god You are not. A veil hangs over their spirits, and they are not inclined to remove it. They see You through a smoky lens, one that obscures Your goodness. They see You as Satan wants them to. Send an apostle to them, Lord! Lift the veil and remove the smoke.
Thank You
I have been praying for special people in my life, and I am seeing Your answers! The embers of a once cold and dormant faith are growing warm, aglow with Your love. Loneliness has been chased away by friendship, and anxiety has been replaced by peace. All because of You. I am so thankful.
More praise
Praise to the only true God – the God above all other gods. You pursue me and those I cherish and pour on us what You promised through Your prophets of old. They are long dead, but Your words and Your promises live on. Your Spirit uses the ancient words of Haggai to teach me and show me the best way to live today. You are endless, never-changing, proving Your love generation after generation.
