Chapter 1
Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord. Haggai 1:2 – That’s what they said and that’s what they chose to live by. They chose to live in relation to God by what they though He had said or would have said, not by actually what He had said. Let’s be careful to not fall into this easy trap. Where we serve God and live for God by what we think He’d say for us to do rather than actually searching and finding the truth of what He wants of us. We may find out that some of the truths we believe, things we do, words we say, and even ways we worship are things God never said. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1113
Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. Haggai 1:4-7 – Haggai is written to the Jews that were sent back to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile that had the task of rebuilding the temple. They had discontinued work due to opposition and Haggai was sent to spur on the completion of the job. He also reveals to them that their lack of finishing God’s work is their reason for why they are in such lack. He tells them to consider their ways. They are in lack and they also are in disobedience…maybe there is a connection. This sure made me want to consider my own ways today. How have I been sent and how have I been lazy in that sending? What have I been putting off building for God to simply build my own house? Let’s be willing to consider our own ways to make sure each life that is supposed to be following Jesus truly is. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2108
You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Haggai 1:9 – Some historical context is key to understanding what’s happening here. Babylon overtook Judah, sent away God’s people to exile, and completely destroyed everything in Jerusalem including the temple. After 70 years of exile, Persia takes over Babylon and kindly sends God’s people back to Jerusalem so they could rebuild. While the people had gone home to Jerusalem and rebuilt their own homes, we learn that 18 years after being sent back to Jerusalem the temple was still not finished. Started yes, but after a couple years of work they stopped and it was sitting as an unfinished construction site for well over a decade because the people were making excuses for not doing the work. What we see in our passage is the Lord’s attitude towards such apathy toward the rebuild of His temple. The people were suffering loss and finding no fulfillment in their work because they had prioritized their desires over God’s desires. As believers today, we too can fall into the trap of setting aside God’s work to do our work instead. We can give all sorts of excuses like “we’re just so busy,” or, “it just too much to ask of us.” And yes, doing the Lord’s work is going to interfere with your calendar and what He asks of us is a lot, but He is worth every bit of it. Prioritize today the things and works of the Lord over even your own desires. His house, His ways, His work, and His plan is what ought to matter the most to us as His followers. Make that true of your story today. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2954
Chapter 2
…And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts. (v.9b) Has peace been absent lately in your story? Where the insanity of life has created a constant state of worry and restlessness that you just can’t avoid. You’ve found some ways to at least give your mind a break, but that true peace that gives rest in the craziness just isn’t there right now. If that’s you and you’re longing for that sort of peace, then my next question to you is how often are you coming to where God is at? Coming to Him in His Word? Coming to Him in worship? Coming to Him in prayer? Fact is, peace is available. The sort of peace that you’re looking for is available. God is also informing us that He is willing to give that sort of peace to us. He does say though, “In this place I will give peace.” Meaning that peace is found where He is at. Meaning our search for peace without seeking after Him first will come up empty. If peace is what you need, be seeking after Him first. In His Word, in prayer, in service, in lending a hand to a broken soul. Just understand what you really need is not peace, what you really need is Jesus. In Him is where you’ll find what you need to make it through life. – Daily DEVO 84
Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you. Haggai 2:19 – What we see in this verse is a picture of a before and after. Before the people started following God and after. We read that before they would come to gather food and never find enough. Even with all their toils they weren’t finding the satisfaction of their needs. Yet now that they have chosen to pursue after God, He speaks of shaking the treasures out of other nations to pour into them. Just hear this, scripture isn’t promising that when you follow God you’ll have riches, it is promising though you’ll be blessed. Maybe those blessings with be financial, maybe though you’ll be blessed with joy or find healing in broken relationships. Know that following God is a truly blessed life. Lean into this and see it for yourself. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1114
The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:9 – God is speaking to His people who are in the process of rebuilding the temple. He especially is speaking to the ones who had seen with their own eyes the beauty of the old temple. His word is clear, what’s to come will be greater than what was. This promise is one we too need to lean into within our story. What was in our life doesn’t even compare to what’s to come. Our life before Jesus has nothing compared to our life with Jesus and especially our future in Heaven. Haggai then is pushing the people to consider their ways, past and future. God is inviting them into blessing, but obedience to Him now is key. God is inviting us into blessing as well, but obedience now is key for us as well. Will we be willing to consider our ways and the outcome of such ways so far in our story? Can we see how turning to sin did not produce the fruit we hoped for? Are we willing to consider the truth that obedience to God in life will produce everything we need? God’s hand is stretched out to you inviting you to blessing and into promise. You simply need to walk in a path towards Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2109
Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Haggai 2:3 – Haggai is now speaking to the elderly group of God’s people that had returned back to Jerusalem after the exile. We learn that while Solomon’s temple was destroyed decades earlier, some of the people listening to Haggai were old enough to have seen Solomon’s temple in all its glory. And it was glorious! Solomon spared no expense and made that temple a wonder to look at. Yet this new rebuild of the temple was clearly not matching the former glory. We learn from Ezra 3 that these older Israelites who had seen the previous temple and were now seeing the foundation of this new temple wept loudly because it didn’t even compare to what they had before. What’s dangerous about this comparison game is we can fall into the mindset that if part is not grander than someone else’s, isn’t worth offering. If our gifts aren’t as great as theirs, then why serve? If our money isn’t as much as theirs, then why give? Since the temple isn’t as good as the old one, why build this new one? Why? Because God told them to build it! Likewise we offer our gifts to the Lord because He told us to. It’s alright if what you can offer the Lord is less than that of someone else. That reality shouldn’t be the reason you hold back from serving and giving to the Lord. What He is asking from us is to be faithful with the amount He has entrusted to us. Let others give more and let others give less, and rejoice when both happens when they give faithfully to the Lord. The only comparison we should keep in mind is remembering what God has done for us and what what God has given to us…everything. Let that comparison fuel you to give back to Him what He is calling us to give to Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2955
Daily DEVO 