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Theme: God Does Not Forsake His People
Text: “Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’S house should be built. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.” – Haggai 1:2-5.
Comment: Those who say they trust in God must do His will at all times. It would be recalled that when the children of Israel were still under Darius the Mede, some of the Jews said that time had not come for them to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Consequently, God directed Haggai the prophet to warn them against shying away from their duties in His service. They should go out and work and He will bless them with the means to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. The Bible says that when they heard this, the people “obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, …and the people did fear before the LORD.” For their obedience God sent word back to them telling them, “Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts.” Haggai 1:12,13; 2: 4.
Let us therefore forge ahead with complete assurance that He will always be with us as long as we do His will always by His grace. King David charged his son Solomon thus: “…Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee…” – 1 Chronicles 28:20.