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REFLECTION

Rebuilding is the theme for our reflection. To rebuild means build (something) again after it has been damaged or destroyed. Haggai 1 describes God sending the prophet Haggai to the post-exilic Jewish community to chastise them for neglecting the temple’s rebuilding while prioritizing their comfortable homes, resulting in a lack of prosperity due to God’s withheld blessings. Haggai calls the people to “consider their ways,” explaining their financial hardship is a consequence of their misplaced priorities, and encourages them to return to God’s house to allow Him to restore their fortunes. The people respond with obedience, the Lord stirs their spirits, and they begin the temple construction anew. 

Unlike the Babylonian empire that destroyed their city and temple, the Israelites during the time of the Persian Empire had a period of stability and peace granted them by King Darius. Unfortunately, they became relaxed and began focusing on creating wealth for themselves and rebuilding their own houses while the temple of the Lord was left unattended to. It was for this reason, Prophet Haggai said to them, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?…Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. 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. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce…” (Haggai 1:2-4, 8-10)

After the Prophet had delivered the message to the Israelites towards the rebuilding the house of the Lord “Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’S message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king. (Haggai 1:12-15)

Dear friend, the lesson of the day is that, God blesses us so that He may use us for His glory and mission on earth. In other words, we are beneficiaries of His blessings and products of His grace so that out of our blessings we shall become effective tools for His mission on earth. One of our mission is to ensure that the house of God or our meeting place for corporate worship is properly built and furnished onto the Lord. When we carry out God’s mission or work, God’s purpose and will for our lives shall also be fulfilled in our lives. Many Christians have been blessed abundantly by God yet they have become careless and carnally minded to the extent that they no longer fear God nor offer their bodies and their wealth as living sacrifices to the Lord. Let us be guided by the parable of the rich fool. When God blessed him with a bountiful harvest he failed to acknowledge the Lord and to honour Him with his wealth, the rich fool said himself “I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:19-20) Let us prioritize the mission of God and we shall remain prioritized in the affairs of God. We are required to always share a part of our wealth with the Church to keep God’s work and mission active and ongoing until the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Shalom.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, help us to be good stewards of God’s blessings and grace upon our lives. Amen.