June 1, 2010
Haggai: Week 2
Posted by Michael
Listen in…Week 2: Redeeming Holiness
Learn
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD. ‘Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’
6 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”Main Idea: There are seasons in our lives where we feel like even our very best just isn’t good enough. You may be doing everything you know how to do in a certain area of your life (career, relationships, finances, etc) but things still seem messed up. This frustration may lead us to stop trying. It is during these times that we must remember God is with us. The people of Israel were told by Haggai to rebuild the temple. They gave their absolute best, but it came nowhere near matching the splendor of the temple Solomon built years before. They were discouraged, but God told them to be strong and continue being faithful. About 500 years later Herod took the temple and enlarged it. It became the temple Jesus visits throughout His ministry, fulfilling Haggai’s prophecy that the desired of all nations will come. We don’t know how or when God will use our faithfulness to bless others. Our job is to give our best even when it seems meager.
Know What: You can trust that God will bless your faithfulness.
So What: God can use even our meager best to bless others. It’s not our job to decide what the results of our efforts will be.
Now What: Continue to be strong and faithful even when the results aren’t what you expect.
Discuss
1. What is one area of your life where you feel your best efforts aren’t good enough?
2. When your best efforts aren’t good enough, what is your reaction? Despair? Passivity? Perseverance?
3. How are you measuring success or failure in that area? Through the results you currently see? Or through obedience to God?
4. If the results of your faithfulness doesn’t payoff until 500 years from now, would you consider it worth the effort? Why or why not?
5. How does recognizing that God is present in your situation change the way you view it? How does it change how you react to it?
6. Look back on your life and recall one situation where it felt like your best wasn’t good enough. Can you now see how God used your efforts for his Glory?
Pray
This week, pray that you would have an awareness of God’s presence in your situation. Pray for courage, strength, and the resolve to stay faithful even when it seems that your best isn’t good enough. The reality is God sees it and will honor it.
