Have you ever felt prompted randomly to read a certain book or chapter of the Bible? That happened to me yesterday morning. I didn’t immediately obey by reading the 2 chapters of the small book of Haggai. But I did go take a quick peek, and this picture grabbed my heart.
It caught me off guard because I certainly needed to find peace in this place. This place, just being a general moment in life right now, where it feels more hurried than ever, crazier than ever, and overall topsy-turvy. Truly, it just feels like I am a fish out of water.
That one photo fed my soul exactly what it needed for the day.
Today, I awoke, reminded of Haggai, and the desire to investigate the book further moved me to action. I opened my beautiful Bible and began reading the 2 chapters. Each time a word or phrase jumped off the page at me, I backed up and re-read that section again. I bet that after it was all said and done, I had read Haggai 3 or 4 different times.
As I read, 5 really specific messages captured my heart and mind.
Zerubbabel
Anytime someone’s name is mentioned in the Bible, I recognize the value, the significance, the special nature. Good or bad, this person stood out enough to make it into the Bible! I needed to know more about Zerubbabel and learned he was a quiet leader in a time of rebuilding. He was special in the space between the time when Israel used to be great in all of its glory and the time of Israel’s restoration. That couldn’t have been a fabulous time, but one of grit, work, and strong faith. Haggai was God’s messenger and was directed to speak to Zerubbabel.
Work! For I Am With You!
So often we pause, for far too long, and call it waiting when in all actuality God just wants us to move, to act, to get going, to work! God’s will for our lives is often discovered in the wait, but it is often revealed while we are on the move. He guides us, directs us, and corrects us while we are working. God declared to Zerubbabel, Joshua, and all you people of the land to “work! For I am with you”. He didn’t just have a job for the leaders, but for all people. He instructed them to be strong and to work. He also encouraged them not to be afraid while they work. They remembered what the temple used to be, what it used to look like, and how great it used to be. But, God. He told them to be strong, not be afraid, and to keep working. He promised them it would be better than the first. Could there be any better encouragement? Imagine the overwhelming feeling they must have had, knowing The Lord of Armies was with them, encouraging them, and promising them peace.
Think Carefully
Ok, friend, if you are reading this, please know that this one right here, oh, it snapped me immediately into my own reality. So often I am on the move so fast that I do not pause to think. I am a doer, a woman of action. That can be a blessing and a curse. God is working in me on this exact topic. I move so fast that I often interfere with His plan. Yes, he can stop me. He is all-powerful, but he lets me learn from my mistakes. Isn’t that what a loving parent does? Depending on the version you are reading, you can see the words “think carefully” three times in this one chapter, but five times total in the book. I had to circle that in my Bible. Three times, very close together. It brought me back to times when my momma was disciplining me, and she would repeat herself. When someone intentionally repeats something, you better believe it is worthy. “Think carefully,” Haggai says. Think carefully before one stone was placed on another. Between every single action, think carefully. Some versions say “give careful thought,” or “consider your ways,” or “think carefully about your ways.” No matter how it is written, the meaning is the same. The impact is there. While you work, think. While you do, think. While you speak, think. While you ____, think. Slow down and process what you are doing and why. Your work is either going to glorify the Lord, or it isn’t! Is your work aligned with God’s way? What are your priorities? Where is your heart? Think carefully.
I Have Chosen You
Again, Haggai was instructed by the Lord to speak to Zerubbabel to tell him ‘for I have chosen you’. Just the thought of that blows my mind. It’s one thing to feel and to know that you are chosen by God for a task, a job, a journey. But, for God to tell someone else to tell you that, to me, it just magnifies the message. Was Zerubbabel confused? Was he immediately obedient and faithful? Was he in awe? I bet he had SO many different emotions all at once. For I have chosen you. Those words are magnificent, big, and overwhelmingly incredible. This is just prior to learning that God is going to ‘shake the heavens and the earth’ but on that same day, Zerubbabel will be ‘taken as God’s servant’. There is infinite promise, strength, and faith in that statement. To be told that can only give extreme confidence as he walked through that time.
***A Bonus***
This house will be greater than the last. I will provide peace in this place.
You are in a season. Whether you are coming into a season, in it, or coming out of it, there are moments where you may look back and wish you were back in that place. Maybe you look at where you are and hope to stay there forever. Or, maybe you are hopeful for what is to come. No matter what, I love how God says, “the final glory of this house will be greater than the first….and….I will provide peace in this place.” God’s peace is with us always – good times, bad times, and all the in-between times. We may look back at that old place where we were and think it was so good, but God says the final glory is greater. Whatever place you find yourself in, there is peace there. The job, the pace of life, the home, the relationship, the disappointment, the grief, the pain, the glory – all of it, He has peace for you and for me.
Which of these fragments of Haggai spoke to your heart as you read? What is God speaking to your heart? Is he asking you to accept and feel chosen? Is he reminding you to work, to move, to get going? Is he prompting you to believe that He is with you? Do you need to slow down enough to think carefully about the moment, or the next step? Is this scripture finding you in a place where you need to believe that the next will be greater than the last?
Take time, right now, friend, to pause, process, and pray. Invite him into your space and receive his love in your life right now.
