{"id":29616,"date":"2024-01-26T22:00:43","date_gmt":"2024-01-27T05:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/haggai-1_1-15-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-01-16T23:18:04","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T06:18:04","slug":"haggai-2_1-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/haggai-2_1-9\/","title":{"rendered":"The Promise of God\u2019s Presence Makes You Courageous"},"content":{"rendered":"

Haggai 2:1-9 <\/strong>\u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is\u00a0Haggai\u00a02:1-9.\u00a0As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself and see what you can glean from it with the help of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Then read this GAME sharing below.<\/p>\n

Haggai<\/strong>\u00a02:1-5 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet\u00a0<\/em>Haggai:
\n2\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>“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,\u00a0<\/em>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>‘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?\u00a0<\/em>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>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.\u00a0<\/em>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 1-5: \u00a0Over a month has passed since\u00a0Haggai\u00a0gave the Jews his first message found in chapter 1.\u00a0 Now the Jews are a month into their mission of rebuilding the house of God in Jerusalem and are experiencing some challenges.\u00a0\u00a0Haggai\u00a0comes to them again with a word from God.\u00a0 First\u00a0Haggai\u00a0acknowledges that the problem before their eyes seems great: after so many years God\u2019s house does not seem to be anything compared to its former glory (v3). \u00a0(Ever started something in faith and it didn’t turn out the way you expected?) \u00a0Yet\u00a0Haggai\u00a0comes with a message from the LORD to encourage Zerubbabel, Joshua and all the people.\u00a0 The LORD tells them three times, \u201cBe strong.\u201d And the reason the LORD gives is: \u201cFor I am with you.\u201d (v4)<\/p>\n

I love that.\u00a0 It\u2019s as if God knew that it takes courage to step out in faith to do a great work for God, but it takes even more courage to keep at it when the going gets tough.\u00a0 So God sends\u00a0Haggai\u00a0to encourage the people.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0God\u2019s presence is the reason we can persevere and be courageous.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0He says, \u201cBe strong, all you people of the land, and work.\u00a0\u00a0For I am with you<\/em>.\u201d (v4)\u00a0Haggai\u00a0tells the Jews that the same God who was with the Jews when they left Egypt centuries before is the same God who is with them now (v5), and that \u201cmy Spirit remains among you.\u00a0 So do not fear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jesus said something similar to His disciples.\u00a0 When Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (see Matthew 28:18-20), Jesus sandwiched that great commission between two great promises: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” and “Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age”.\u00a0 In other words, disciples,\u00a0if the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth is with you to the very end of the age, then what do you have to fear? Nothing.\u00a0 The promise of God’s presence makes you courageous.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re facing a tough situation, remember: the Lord Almighty, the God of heaven and earth, is with you.\u00a0 Because God is with you, you can be strong and do the work He has called you to do.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Haggai 2:6-7 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“This is what the\u00a0LORD\u00a0Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the\u00a0LORD\u00a0Almighty.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 6-7:\u00a0\u00a0Haggai\u00a0also encourages the Jews with one more promise.\u00a0 He tells them that the Lord Almighty will once more shake heaven and earth, the sea, the land, and all the nations (v6-7).\u00a0 Then He says that \u201cthe desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory.\u201d (v7b)<\/p>\n

This promise would be fulfilled not only with the rebuilding of the temple, but even more with the heaven-shaking, world-changing appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u00a0\u00a0In other words,\u00a0these verses are pointing to the day that Jesus would come.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Jesus is the desired of all nations.\u00a0 He is the glory with which God would fill His house.\u00a0 Where Jesus is, there is God\u2019s glory!<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0And if Jesus fills the temple called your life, God\u2019s glory fills your life!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Haggai<\/strong>\u00a02:8-9 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.\u00a0<\/em>
\n9\u00a0<\/sup><\/em>‘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.”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 8-9:\u00a0 I love these verses because they remind us that all wealth and provision are in God\u2019s hands (v8).\u00a0 So while the Jews may have felt like what they were doing was nothing compared to what had been done by others before them (compared to that “former glory”), God reminds them through\u00a0Haggai\u00a0that the same God who was with the others before is with them now.\u00a0 He tells them that all resources are in God\u2019s hands, and that He will fill His house with so much glory (v7) that the glory of this new house will be greater than the glory of the former house (v9).\u00a0 And on top of that glory, God will add His peace (v9b).<\/p>\n

Likewise,\u00a0you might feel out-resourced and overwhelmed by the challenge in front of you.\u00a0 But remember: the One who is with you owns all of heaven and earth.\u00a0 All the silver and gold are His.\u00a0 And He is committed to bringing glory through your life in these coming days that is greater than anything you have ever seen in the past.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0With God, the best is always yet to come.\u00a0 So walk in faith today and He will give you everything you need to accomplish His purposes.<\/p>\n

Lord Almighty, all of heaven and earth belongs to You, and all the gold and silver are in Your hands.\u00a0 Today in Jesus\u2019 name I access all the courage, the strength, the wisdom, the hope, and the resources I need to do the work You have called me to do.\u00a0\u00a0 Thank You that because You are with me, nothing is impossible for me.\u00a0 And thank You that You will fill this house \u2013 my life, my family, my church, my work \u2013 with greater glory than anything we have seen in the past.\u00a0 For with You, the best is yet to come.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is\u00a0Haggai\u00a02:1-9.\u00a0As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself and see what you can glean from it with the help of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Then read this GAME sharing below.\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nHaggai\u00a02:1-5 (NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet\u00a0Haggai:\u00a0
\n2\u00a0“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,\u00a0
\n3\u00a0‘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?\u00a0
\n4\u00a0But 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.\u00a0
\n5\u00a0‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’<\/p>\n

On verses 1-5: \u00a0Over a month has passed since\u00a0Haggai\u00a0gave the Jews his first message found in chapter 1.\u00a0 Now the Jews are a month into their mission of rebuilding the house of God in Jerusalem and are experiencing some challenges.\u00a0\u00a0Haggai\u00a0comes to them again with a word from God.\u00a0 First\u00a0Haggai\u00a0acknowledges that the problem before their eyes seems great: after so many years God\u2019s house does not seem to be anything compared to its former glory (v3).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29616"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29620,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29616\/revisions\/29620"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}