Friday Night Chats with Natalie Aliison Brown - 12.02.2022

Haggai 1 & 2 and Isaiah 43
Let's do a poll. How many of you do a spring cleaning every year? What about the fall? Do you like gardening? What about remodeling your home? Would you like to renew your furnishings, appliances, windows? How much joy does it give you to spend money to modernize your home? Does it sometimes feel like a money pit or are you happy with the changes? When I first thought about my sermon for today, God led me to Isaiah 43. I'm doing something new, can't you see? But then he led me to Haggai. My question to God was what the connection is, and boy has our Sovereign Father revealed to me His character, His heart for His people and His purpose.

For context, Haggai was the first of the prophets sent to the Jews upon their return from captivity. He was sent to encourage the people to rebuild the temple and to rebuke their neglect, according to the Matthew Henry Commentary. People have been assured that the latter will be better than the former by the appearance of Christ in it. Why so much attention to the temple? Because the neglect was due to the resistance and discouragement recorded in Ezra 4.
But this time the motivation was different. Was it because they were discouraged to complete the plan God set out for them? How does one go from being very resourceful, thankful and grateful toward God to thinking in the deficit? I don’t have enough? I am not strong enough? I am not good enough? I can put off God’s plan now for a more convenient date................ When God is telling you all the time, But I Am More Than Enough.
In the book of Haggai, after being disrupted and discouraged, the people keep putting off rebuilding the temple...saying the time is not yet come that the Lord’s house should be rebuilt (although Cyrus had ordered it done 18 years before). And he asks the questions......

Is it not time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house (of the Lord)lies in ruin?

Haggai Chapers 1 and 2

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

God cautions us to think about our ways; our return on our investments....what has it profited us?

I’ve invested much; but profited little

I eat a lot; but hunger continues to linger

I put on clothes, but is not warm enough

I make money; but it’s burns in my pocket

In Chapter 2 of Haggai, the people continued with their weakened ways, and the Lord asked Haggai to speak to Zerubbabel and to Joshua the High Priest and to the remnant of the people saying: Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And HOW DO YOU SEE IT NOW? Leaders must keep the big vision and purpose in front of their people. Satan loves us to compare and be discouraged. Such was the case as they were working hard and with the vision of the former, Solomon’s temple, they could see no comparison on how it could be better.

What am I profiting without the blessing of God...absolutely nothing.

God wants our hearts, our souls, our mind.

He wants us to trust in Him. He wants us to lean on Him. He wants us to abide in Him.

Parents and loved ones, I ask you today,

Is God reflected in your conversations?

Do you teach your children about the goodness of God?

Do you allow God to choose your spiritual friends?

God is indeed doing a new thing! He asks if you perceive it?