A Call to Reflection: Examining Our Ways
"¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways." - Haggai 1:7
In the book of Haggai, we encounter a powerful message from God that resonates deeply in our hearts and lives, especially when He commands, "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways" (Haggai 1:7, KJV). This exhortation calls us to pause and reflect, urging us to evaluate the path we have chosen in our spiritual and daily lives.
Haggai delivered this prophetic word to the people of Israel during a pivotal moment in their history. After returning from Babylonian exile, they faced challenges in rebuilding the desecrated temple of the LORD. Their priorities had shifted, and they focused on their own houses while the house of God lay in ruins. The Lord sends Haggai to remind them that their neglect of spiritual priority leads to spiritual drought. This theme carries weight even today, as it confronts us within our modern-day distractions and ambitions.
### The Importance of Self-Examination
"Consider your ways" is more than just a suggestion; it is a divine imperative. Self-examination isn't just about feeling sorry for past mistakes or intentionally taking stock of our lives. Instead, we are called to assess our hearts and actions in light of God’s will and purpose.
In the broader context of Haggai, the call to consider one’s ways is a challenge to dig deep into where we invest our time, resources, and energy. The Lord invites us to lay bare our motivations and the direction our lives are heading. Are we building our own empires while neglecting the call to advance God’s kingdom? Are we allowing the distractions of this world to take precedence over our commitment to the divine?
### The Cost of Neglect
When God says, "Consider your ways," He urges us to recognize the consequences of our neglect. The Israelites faced a spiritual famine, experiencing lack and frustration despite their hard work. Their crops didn’t yield as they expected, and their efforts seemed to bear no fruit (Haggai 1:6). This was a clear indication of the disconnect that exists when we focus solely on our desires and priorities over what God has commanded us to do.
Similarly, in our lives today, failure to center our thoughts and actions on God’s word can result in emptiness. We might climb the ladder of success only to find it’s leaning against the wrong wall—it is paramount, then, to measure our progress against God’s standards, rather than worldly benchmarks.
### A Call to Action
However, God does not leave us in our desolation; He offers us a path back to Himself. Our initial step is to genuinely consider our ways. Reflection must usher us into repentance and reformation. Haggai continues to emphasize that when the people responded to this calling, prioritizing the house of the LORD, their situations began to change (Haggai 1:8). The temple was rebuilt, and the Lord’s presence was restored. Similarly, we must recognize that inviting God into our lives will rekindle light and purpose.
As a community of believers, we ought to ask ourselves: Are our activities spiritual? Do they glorify God? Are we in alignment with His call on our lives? Maybe we need to reassess our priorities. The way we spend our time, invest our resources, and engage in relationships should reflect a heart dedicated to God.
### Conclusion: The Path of Restoration
In light of Haggai's words, we should see the call to "Consider your ways" as an opportunity God's grace provides—an invitation to return to the heart of worship. As we reflect and seek to put God back at the center of our lives, we will experience restoration not only in personal matters but in our churches and communities as a whole.
May we heed this call, examining our ways with honesty and humility. By doing so, we invite God’s blessings into our lives, opening the door for revival, transformation, and an ever-deepening relationship with Him.
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Haggai 1:7 Artwork
Haggai 1:7 - "¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways."
"¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways." - Haggai 1:7
Haggai 1:3 - "Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,"
Haggai 2:1 - "In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,"
"Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying," - Haggai 1:3
Haggai 1:13 - "Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD."
Haggai 1:1 - "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,"
Haggai 2:9
Flow chart of Haggai 1:1-15
Haggai 1:5 - "Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways."
"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
Haggai 2:6-7 – "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.'"
"In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying," - Haggai 2:1
Haggai 2:7 - "And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts."
Haggai 1:4 - "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?"
Haggai 1:12 - "¶ Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD."
"And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts." - Haggai 2:7
Haggai 1:10 - "Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit."
Haggai 1:15 - "In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king."
Haggai 1:8 - "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 1:2 - "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."
Ezra 5:1 - "Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them."
"Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways." - Haggai 1:5
"In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king." - Haggai 1:15
"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," - Haggai 1:1
"¶ Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD." - Haggai 1:12
"Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit." - Haggai 1:10
"Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?" - Haggai 1:4
"And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts." - Haggai 2:7
Haggai 1:14 - "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,"