Pastor Hollen delivered a powerful message at Faithway, drawing from the book of Haggai to challenge believers to pause and examine their lives in light of God’s priorities. The sermon reminds us that God often calls His people to stop, reflect, and realign when distractions pull them away from His purposes.
The Problem with the People
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built (Haggai 1:1-2 KJV). The people of Israel had returned to Jerusalem with enthusiasm to rebuild the temple, stirred by God through King Cyrus. They laid the foundation but then stopped for about sixteen years. Their excuse was simple: “The time is not come.” This was not outright rebellion but delayed obedience, which is still disobedience. They postponed the work God had called them to do.
The Emphasis They Chose
Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? (Haggai 1:3-4 KJV). God pointed out the contradiction. While they claimed no time for the Lord’s house, they had plenty of time and resources to panel and beautify their own homes. Their emphasis had shifted to personal comfort and convenience rather than God’s work. They were busy, but busy with the wrong things.
The Emptiness They Experienced
Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink. Ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes (Haggai 1:5-6 KJV). Their lives felt empty and fruitless. Hard work produced little result. They sowed much but harvested little, ate but remained unsatisfied, earned wages only to see them disappear as if into a bag full of holes. God explained that He was behind this frustration: “Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house” (Haggai 1:9 KJV). The emptiness was God’s way of getting their attention.
Message from the Prophet: Consider Your Ways
Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways (Haggai 1:7 KJV). The recurring command throughout Haggai is to “consider your ways,” a deep heart examination meaning to set or place it upon the heart. God called the people to stop, take inventory, and evaluate their path. Where were they headed if they continued as they were? The prophet urged immediate reflection: Are you fulfilling what God has called you to do, or have distractions taken over?
A Message About Priorities
The core issue was priorities. It was not wrong to have comfortable homes, but those homes had taken precedence over God’s house and calling. The people’s pleasures, efforts, and time focused on themselves rather than God’s pleasure and glory. Haggai’s plea was clear: Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD (Haggai 1:8 KJV). Obedience brings alignment with what delights God and brings Him glory.
The Statement of God’s Presence
After the people feared the Lord and obeyed, Haggai delivered God’s reassuring word: Then spake Haggai the LORD’s messenger in the LORD’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD (Haggai 1:13 KJV). God promised His presence. When we realign with His will, even if the task seems difficult or adds to a busy schedule, He assures us that we are not alone. His presence provides the strength and comfort needed.
The Stirring of God’s Spirit
And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God (Haggai 1:14 KJV). God stirred their hearts afresh, just as He had stirred Cyrus years earlier and the returning exiles at the beginning. This fresh stirring led to immediate action. The temple began to rise again within months. Obedience opened the door to renewed purpose, power, and the empowering presence of God’s Spirit.
Conclusion
The book of Haggai offers a timeless call to every believer: stop and consider your ways. Life’s distractions can quietly shift our priorities away from what truly matters to God. Yet when we pause, examine our hearts, repent of delay or neglect, and obey promptly, God responds with His presence, stirs our spirits anew, and brings purpose back into focus. May we each take time today to reflect honestly before the Lord. Is His calling your priority? Are you on the path He has set? Let this message from Haggai prompt fresh obedience and renewed stirring, so that we may live for His pleasure and glory.
