Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. Haggai 1:12-15
“How God met them in a way of mercy. The same prophet that brought them the reproof brought them a very comforting encouraging word (v. 13): Then spoke Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, in the Lord’s message, in his name, and as from him, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. That is all he has to say, and that is enough; as that word of Christ to his disciples is (Mt. 28:20), “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. I am with you, that is, I will forgive your neglects hitherto, and they shall not be remembered against you; I will remove the judgments you have been under for those neglects, and will appear for you, as I have in them appeared against you. I am with you to protect you against your enemies that bear ill-will to your work, and to prosper you, and to give you success in it—with you to strengthen your hands, and bless the work of them, without which blessing those labour in vain that build.” Note, those that work for God have God with them; and, if he be for us, who can be against us? If he be with us, what difficulty can stand before us?”
Matthew Henry in Haggai 1 – Matthew Henry Bible Commentary.
Notice the progression in only 15 verses.
God alerted the people that they had paneled their own houses but forgotten about His house. They had not used properly all God supplied. So, though Haggai, the prophet, God called them repeatedly to give careful thought to their ways.
Now we see them obey and get to work on God’s house.
We must do the same today. This refers not so much to pouring the resources we steward into a physical building but rather in to God’s building, God’s people. God wants us to use what we have to shift from building a fancy house to building His global Church.
What part will you play?
Even as they marked the day, we can make it today. For me, I have my GTP quarterly board meeting today. We will make decisions that shape the future. We hear the “with you” posture of our God calling us to bold faith as we use His resources to build His Church.
If you want a place to give to build the global Church, make it GTP!