God Initiates the Process of Rebuilding

Scripture: Haggai 1:14

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 hosts, their God,

Insights: Haggai is one of my favorite minor prophets and his book is very applicable for us today.  To set the scene for you, king Cyrus sent the exiles from the Babylonian captivity back home in a few waves.  Ezra the priest was sent back in the first wave and is commissioned to start the rebuilding process of the Temple, however we are clearly told the rebuilding had stopped.  When Haggai returns, sixteen years later, God commissions him to get the rebuilding back on track.  Haggai gives us the reason the building had stopped in the fourth verse of chapter one and it was basically that the people had stolen all the construction material to build their own homes.  From that point on, they did nothing until the Spirit of the Lord stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel, Joshua and the remnant to begin work on the house of the Lord.  This biblical truth is still relevant today.  In other words, until the Lord God draws on a persons heart, they are not able to respond to the Father.  Until the Spirit moves our heart we are not able to serve the Lord.  Once, however, He begins to stir up our spirit, we have only one rightful response back to Him and that is, “Yes, Lord!”  It is an encouraging truth for a believer to understand that the commission of service is contingent on the Lord.  The reason this truth is encouraging is because that means the onus is on the Lord to provide the resources, power, and stirring to serve Him.  Now, we do, unfortunately, still have the freedom to reject all the Lord gives to us, but He supplies everything for us to succeed for Him and by His standards.  I emphasis His standards because His ways are not our ways and His view of success is obedience expressed by faith and not the results or outcomes.  He wants to see our heart reflecting His glory and pointing to His majesty.  We may fail in an earthly sense of the word success, but in His eyes we have performed beautifully.  I might also add here that when He calls, more often than not it is to succeed even by earthly standards.  Let us feel His presence and obediently respond with, “YES, LORD!”

Questions:

1.  Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

2.  If, you already have a relationship with Jesus, in what ministry is the Lord commissioning you to serve?

Prayer: Father, You are the One who starts any endeavor with You.  You lead me into salvation.  You guide me into service.  You empower me to be obedient.  It is all about You and Your glory.  May I never forget this reality.  Amen.