relationships (Haggai 1:1-15) Intentional Community

(Haggai 1:1-15) In the second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”’” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remains desolate?” 5 Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “Consider your ways! 6 You have sown much, only to harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.”

7 The Lord of armies says this: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains, bring wood, and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies. “It is because of My house which remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on mankind, on cattle, and on all the products of the labor of your hands.”

12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, just as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, “‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of armies, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When we neglect going to church and serving the Lord and each other, and selfishly focus on ourselves, we will find ourselves spinning our wheels.  We were created to have a personal relationship with the Lord God, and be part of His family, which is an intentional community.  But most importantly, God created us with a soul, which only He can fill and satisfy. 

When we become believers, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit forever, so we cannot lose our salvation;  but like a rechargeable battery, while the Holy Spirit is always with us, we need to recharge.  This includes spending time with the Lord in prayer and reading our Bibles consistently.  As well, God's word tells us not to neglect the meeting of the saints... going to church, getting involved in a Bible study, serving... plugging into a micro-portion of God's community that is our spiritual family! 

Every time I go to church, even if I was tempted to just stay home, I am always glad I went!  After the whole pandemic-quarantining-thing, I can say definitively, being at a service in person is so much more than watching a streamlined service.  God never forces people to do anything, but God will stir our hearts and energize us, inspiring a desire and eagerness to worship and serve Him, which brings healing, peace and joy.

This is not just for our own sake, it is also a testimony to others.  As verse 12 describes, physically going to church SHOWS our reverence and respect for our heavenly Father.  It is a physical sacrifice of our time and energy.  God certainly deserves that!  God is pleased with that!  And God will honor that!  And then, just like with tithing, throughout the week we will find that we are making better use of our time in God's strength and guidance.  When we make time for God, He literally makes time for us!