Haggai 1-2, Psalm 14
Haggai 2:8-9 (NLT)
“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”
In Haggai 2:8-9, the Lord speaks through the prophet Haggai and tells the people that they do not need to be discouraged if they do not have the money to rebuild the Lord’s temple. The Lord says that He is sovereign over all material wealth, and He will provide the necessary resources when He wants His people to accomplish something. The people had been tasked with rebuilding the temple after their return from the Babylonian exile. Then the Lord tells them that the future temple will be greater than Solomon’s Temple. One Bible commentary I read noted that the reference to the future temple was another prophecy of Jesus Christ. Christ taught in the Second Temple and brought it greater glory through His presence. The peace mentioned in these verses was also brought by Jesus Christ, as believers find true peace through His presence.
These verses remind believers that when the Lord gives us a task to do, He will provide the resources needed to accomplish it because He is sovereign over all material wealth. The future peace that Haggai prophesied about was fulfilled through the birth of Jesus Christ. Christ embodied the presence of the Lord and brought peace to believers through His death and resurrection.
When I read these verses, I think about the peace that I feel as a follower of Jesus Christ. But Haggai also made me realize that this peace can apply to the work the Lord asks me to do. In the past, I felt fear when Father-God asked me to do something that I did not feel I had the resources to accomplish. When the Lord guided me to move to my current location, I focused on finding a job before I moved.
After searching for a job for six months with no success, I began to wonder if I had misunderstood the guidance the Lord gave me about moving. But the Holy Spirit told me to move anyway and trust that the Lord would provide for me. Right before I moved, I received a large raise, which enabled me to live without income in my new state. When I asked the Holy Spirit when I would get a job, the guidance I received was that I would find one in six months. Following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I applied for different types of jobs, and exactly six months later I received a job offer. That job ended up being the perfect job for me.
If these verses resonate with you—if you feel drawn to place your faith in Jesus Christ, the One who never gives you something to do without first providing what you need to accomplish it—this may be your moment. Open your heart to Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Tell Him you trust Him and desire to walk with Him. He is faithful, and He will meet you exactly where you are.
Heavenly Father, I give You my life. Please forgive me for all my sins and wash me clean through the blood of Jesus. I believe in my heart that You raised Jesus from the dead, and I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I receive Your forgiveness and the gift of salvation. Thank You, Lord—I am saved, I am forgiven, I am clean, and I am made new in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, welcome to the family of Father-God! I encourage you to find and join a Holy Spirit–filled, full-Gospel, Bible-based church where you can grow in your faith and experience the Lord’s love, signs, wonders, and miracles in your life.
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