“Then Zerubbabel…Joshua…and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God.” As Pastor Manion says, “This is massive!” Usually prophets were ignored. In fact, not listening to the prophets resulted in Israel being exiled to Babylon in the first place. The prophet Jeremiah warned of invasion if Israel didn’t turn from foreign gods back to the One True God. Their hardened hearts and deaf ears brought about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Israel’s response to Haggai’s message shows they’ve learned a hard lesson. When he says to rebuild the Temple, they hear, comply, and are blessed for it. Their open-hearted response to complete the Temple led them to deeper worship and glorified God to their neighbors.
God uses the Bible, and those who teach truth from his Word, to lay his commands on our hearts. And the Holy Spirit within believers convicts us to think and do what is right. God knows us intimately and wants to speak his truth into our lives to draw us closer, bless us, and glorify himself through us. The question is, will we open our hearts in obedience?
Saying “Yes” to God needs to become a habit whenever we are confronted by his truth.
So today as you meet with him, think about the sermon you’ll hear this weekend and lift up your unclenched hands in anticipation of receiving his words. Ask the Holy Spirit for help to hear his voice, obey what he shows you, and bring glory to his name.
