Consider Your Ways

Lessons Learned from Haggai

When reading through the Bible you will get to books you normally may not have chosen to read, but as you do, the Lord encourages, convicts, and opens your eyes to truths you never saw before. The book of the minor prophet Haggai is a short two chapters, but several truths were brought out in my reading last week.

The book begins in the year of 520 BC when the Israelites, God’s chosen people, were released from captivity and allowed to go back to their homeland which still lay in ruin from the many years of invasions. Those who returned begin to rebuild (Ezra 1-6), and they think things are improving, but the prophet Haggai does not agree.

Your Choices Matter

Haggai tells them to look at their priorities. “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:5, 7) They erected an altar to worship the Lord, but then they didn’t continue by rebuilding the temple. They said, “It’s not time to do that yet” (paraphrased from Haggai 1:2). Instead, their houses took top priorities. The beautiful homes in which they were slaves in Babylon gave them ideas for how to make their houses bigger and better. Their decision to put the Lord’s work off and make their own grand homes showed where their heart was. The temple wasn’t a shrine or memorial; it was where God came down to meet them. They obviously wasn’t missing their time with the Lord.

What about our priorities? How many times do we maybe perform a one-time act of service at church and feel it was good enough to last us a while? We spend one hour in the church pew one day a week and think the rest of the week is ours to do with as we please. We say we are “Christians,” but like the Israelites our true allegiance is with self, not God. Or we say, “I’ll start serving God, but not yet. Not now.” Or “I’ll read my Bible tomorrow…”

We need to make sure our priorities are in order. We may need to check them daily, but God should always come first.

“Everything begins with the right priorities, and right priorities begin with God.”

Woodrow Kroll

Haggai’s rebuke opens the eyes of the people. They see the truth in the words he tells them and are motivated to start rebuilding the temple.

Amid Discouragement, Keep Going

A month later Haggai checks on the people as they work and find they are discouraged. There are those who were alive in the day of Solomon’s grand temple so this simple, unimpressive temple they are working on just isn’t up to snuff. They may have been afraid that because it wasn’t as grand, the Lord wouldn’t dwell in it.

Haggai encourages them with the promises of God (Haggai 2:4) – God is with you through this. It may not seem like much, but it is exactly what He desires of you. The prophet reminds them of the future kingdom temple and how this temple they are working on is all part of the plan (Haggai 2:9). “Keep working!” He tells them. The best is yet to come.

In the church there are so many ways to serve the Lord. Some positions have you out in front where everyone sees what you are doing for the Lord, while others may have you back in a room where no one really sees your service. We must remember just as God saw what the people of Israel were doing, He sees your service, big or small. You may feel what you are doing isn’t much, but if you are doing what you feel He has called you to, then you are exactly where you need to be. Continue being obedient. You are furthering His kingdom by your work. Do not get discouraged, keep going!

Lack of Obedience & Faith

Another two months have passed when Haggai returns and has a word with the priests. He questions their belief about Old Testament laws of cleanliness such as if a person touches a dead body, they are considered unclean and cannot touch anything “holy” (Haggai 2:12-13). They confirmed that was the law. Haggai saw the people who were building the temple were not repentant, therefore, he explained “unclean” people would make the temple “unclean.” Holiness cannot be transferred, but filthiness can. Their sinful hearts were desecrating the temple.

Spiritual activity does not equal spirituality. Before you serve the Lord, make sure you are free from sin, in full obedience, and have faith in God. Your relationship with the Lord is more important than your service to the Lord. Haggai told the people “from this day and upward” they could repent and do the right thing (Haggai 2:18). We can too.

Our obedience to God is part of the way He works in this world. He uses us to reach others. When I decided to start this blog, it was in obedience to what I felt the Lord was putting on my heart. I have questioned why I am doing it almost ever since. My desire is to share what the Lord has shown me or put on my heart whether anyone reads it or not. All I know is I am obeying what I feel the Lord wants me to do right now, and I intend to continue until He leads me differently.

Whatever the Lord is directing you to do, obey and have faith!

Haggai concludes the book with four verses speaking directly to Zerubbabel. He says this world will be shaken but God will send His son. Zerubbabel honored God by building the temple, so He will honor him. He learns he will be in the direct lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:12-13).

God’s people had become careless in their relationship with Him. “Consider your ways!” Haggai rebuked. What he told them we need to remember. We need to rethink our priorities in life, to keep our eyes on the big picture (the coming of our Lord), and to evaluate our spiritual walk. Let us heed the message God told Haggai to share, “Consider your ways!”

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This is a little bit different from how I usually blog, but these truths spoke to me, so I wanted to share. What has the Lord showed you recently in your Bible reading? Please share in a comment below. Let us remember even if we are trying to faithfully serve Him, it’s always good to reassess our motives and direction in life. 💕