So often, it’s easy to give God what is left of our time, not the best of our time; it’s easy to give God what is left of our resources, not what is best of our resources. Haggi tells the people today that after the Exile, they are comfortable; they have much, but they have neglected the house of the Lord. The time has come to rebuild. That is the same for us. It is easy for us to be comfortable and for us to neglect giving God what is best. Yet, when we live that way, we find that no matter what we have, it’s never enough. We are never satisfied. It isn’t until we give God what is best that we find the abundant life He promises us.

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Good morning! It’s great to be with you on this Friday morning. I’m dressed a bit more casually today since I’ve been working around the office, trying to get things organized. Sometimes, we need to take time to create order in our surroundings, and today is one of those days for me.

Today, we’re starting with the book of Haggai. We just finished Zephaniah, and now we move into another short but powerful prophecy. Haggai is an interesting book, as it consists of only two chapters and is divided into several sections. Although brief, it is packed with significant messages, and it will take us a couple of days to get through it.

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are post-exile prophets. Most of the prophecies we’ve studied so far were delivered before the exile. As a quick refresher, after Saul, David, and Solomon, the kingdom of Israel split into two: the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). The northern kingdom was eventually destroyed by the Assyrians, and the southern kingdom by the Babylonians, leading to the exile of the Jews. Haggai’s prophecy picks up after the Jews have been released from exile and have returned to Jerusalem.

Haggai was a contemporary of Nehemiah and Ezra, whose books detail the reconstruction efforts in Jerusalem. You’ll recognize some of the same people mentioned in Haggai, such as Darius, Zerubbabel, and Joshua.

In this chapter, Haggai confronts the leaders and the people about their neglect of God’s house. The people have been focusing on their own homes and comfort while the temple lies in ruins. This neglect has led to their dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment in their lives.

Haggai’s message is clear: prioritize the rebuilding of the temple, the house of God. He points out that their hardships—sowing much but harvesting little, eating but never being full, earning wages but putting them in a bag with holes—are due to their neglect of God’s house. God deserves the best of our time, resources, and efforts, not the leftovers.

Verse 9 is particularly poignant: “Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses.” It’s a reminder that when we prioritize our own comfort over our commitment to God, we miss out on the fullness of life that He offers.

God’s call through Haggai is to “go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house,” to take action in restoring the temple. When we give God what’s best rather than what’s left, we open ourselves to His blessings and a deeper relationship with Him.

I encourage you to worship somewhere this Sunday, whether it be at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church or another community of faith. Let’s give God our best and experience the abundant life He has for us. Have a great weekend, and we’ll pick up with Haggai Chapter 2 on Monday. See you then!