Resurrection Church

Read: Haggai 1:12-15

The popular children’s television program Reading Rainbow ended its 26-year run last summer. During this time, it won more than two dozen Emmy awards and was widely admired for inspiring children to fall in love with books and reading. Hosted by actor LeVar Burton, the show didn’t address how to read but why to read, as reflected in the theme song: “Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high, Take a look, it’s in a book.” Children responded positively to the show’s message.

In today’s reading, the Jewish exiles who had returned to the Promised Land responded positively to God’s message as brought by Haggai. This makes for a refreshing change in our month’s study! Jonah eventually obeyed, but much of the time he acted like a stubborn donkey being pulled along a mountain path. The Ninevites responded to Jonah’s message with humble repentance, but by Nahum’s time their sins were so great that God judged them by totally destroying their city. Here at last in Haggai we find a group of people who, upon hearing the word of the Lord, simply got up and did it.

Thanks to Haggai’s precise dating, we know that a mere 23 days passed between receiving the prophecy and restarting the temple building project. This short time tells us that Zerubbabel and Joshua were highly effective leaders and that the hearts of the people were spiritually receptive and responsive. They obeyed and feared the Lord, meaning they showed awe and reverence for Him (v. 12; cf. Deut. 31:12-13). For this reason, He renewed the covenant promise they most wanted to hear: “I am with you” (v. 13; cf. Matt. 28:19-20). What was the key to their obedience? From a human perspective, they got their hearts right with God and made the right choice to obey Him. From God’s perspective, He “stirred up” their spirits or moved their hearts, a phrase suggesting both passion and action. In short, He spiritually transformed their self-centered hearts, enabling them to seek Him and choose to do the right thing (v. 14; cf. Ezra 1:5).

TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Now it’s your turn to “give careful thought to your ways.” Would an outsider looking at your decisions and way of life know that God was at its center? Worship and obedience are key, but we can’t simply “will ourselves” to do them. We need God’s help to seek Him and make right choices. We need Him to stir up our spirits and transform our hearts so that we can be better followers of Him. Let this be the cry of our souls today and every day!