At the beginning of Haggai’s prophecy, the Israeli exiles had no interest whatsoever in rebuilding the temple. However, by the end of the book, they had rolled up their sleeves and were filling the air with sounds of construction. What had happened? How did they get their spirits renewed? How does God get our attention and remove the tendency we all have to become self-absorbed and uncommitted to the things that matter?

 I love you too much to let you neglect your commitment.

First, God used a messenger. God uses human beings as His instruments. Here, He utilized a man named Haggai. In your life, God may use an insightful person to tap you on the shoulder - spiritually speaking - and say, “you seem to have gotten off track, and I love you too much to let you neglect your commitment. I want nothing more than to see you walk closely with God. I challenge you to trust Him. I challenge you to meet with Him and begin to straighten your life out.”

Second, God used a call to personal evaluation. Several times in the book of Haggai we read the phrase, ‘Give careful thought to your ways’. Haggai was saying, “Evaluate yourself—don’t let the situations in your life stay the same.” James says it another way, “Take a look in the mirror, and when you see the areas that need to change, don’t just walk away from the mirror—do something about it.”

Third, God used adversity to turn the people of Israel around. Look closely at what Haggai said about holes in the Israelites’ purses, about being cold - even though they had enough clothes on, about being hungry - even though they ate enough, and about planting a lot and harvesting little (1:6). Adversity is a motivation with teeth in it. It gives an opportunity to respond with obedience and renewed commitment, to develop a spirit of faithfulness and patient endurance, to grow closer to the Lord and to the Lord’s people.

You represent the strings of lights He wants to put up and display.

Fourth, God used encouragement to renew the spirit of the people in Haggai’s day. God raised up Haggai and Zechariah as well, to encourage His people during the tough times as they began their lives over again after years of captivity. He wanted to instill a sense of hope and a sense of purpose in them, and He wants to do that for us today as well. It may surprise you to know that we’re not the only ones who have unfinished tasks. Did you know that God does too? But the only thing that’s unfinished in God’s work is His children.

God is still working on us. I’m confident that some of you know exactly what I’m talking about when I say that God will not quit until He brings us to a place of putting Him first (Philippians 1:6). How about telling your Him how you feel about that right now? Give Him the go-ahead to speed up the process.

He was a “get-it-done” type of leader, a highly motivated man who attacked indifference as the enemy it was. Haggai and later Zechariah, were used by the Lord to afflict the comfortable, convincing them that there was no excuse for being uncommitted

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