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John 1:3, Genesis 1:1

Lord, Open Our Eyes!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 6, 2023

The first chapter of the Gospel of John is a lot like the first Chapter of Genesis. You could comment on just about every word. Genesis begins, “In the Beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” It’s well said to be a figure of speech called a “merism.” It means he not only created the heavens and the earth but he also created everything in between. It’s like Jesus saying that he is the “alpha and the omega.” He’s not just the first letter of the alphabet and the last letter. He’s also everything in between. I wonder if John was trying to clarify this for us when he speaks of “The Word – Jesus” as being the creator of it all. John 1:3 says, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Jesus was the direct agent of God’s creation as recorded in Genesis 1:1. This settles one of the most important questions ever asked. It was first asked by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the man who bequeathed us calculus and the binary system which is at the heart of our modern computers. From our study of the planets or the atoms, we try to see what caused them. We see that they exist, but we want to know where they came from. And secondly, why is it the way it is?

“Many earlier thinkers had asked why our universe is the way it is, but Leibniz went a step further, wondering why there is a universe at all. The question is a challenging one because it seems perfectly possible that there might have been nothing whatsoever – no Earth, no stars, no galaxies, no universe. Leibniz even thought that nothing would have been ‘simpler and easier’. If nothing whatsoever had existed then no explanation would have been needed – not that there would have been anyone around to ask for an explanation, of course, but that’s a different matter.”[1] You see, we are around! We are a curious lot and want desperately to know about the cause of all the “effects” that happen around us. Things don’t just happen. John is telling us.

James Boice said, “We know the force of this verse from things in our own experience. When we see a leaf blowing down the street, we do not attribute the powers of self-motivation to the leaf. We assume that a power equal to the effect is behind the leaf and has put it in motion. We call that power wind. When we examine a watch of fine Swiss workmanship, we do not assume that the steel and glass and small bearings possess the ability to organize themselves into a watch. We posit the existence of a watchmaker. So, it should be in the realm of nature. Jesus intended that we should recognize God’s existence and power through nature.”[2] There is nothing more powerful in our lives than sitting quietly by the ocean and gazing in awe at what Jesus created. Seeing God in nature has pulled many people out of deep depression, calmed many fears, and encouraged them in times of trouble. Jesus is God’s demonstration of His love for me. He filled the world with color and gives me eyes. He fills the world with music and gives me ears. One web blogger observed, “The mountains stand strong and powerful, the sun rises no matter how dark the night, the waves gently lap the rocky coast, God’s voice is found in creation, we simply need to train our eyes to see Him.”[3]

[1] https://theconversation.com/answering-the-biggest-question-of-all-why-is-there-something-rather-than-nothing-65865

[2] Boice, James Montgomery. 2005. The Gospel of John: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

[3] https://bloggersforthekingdom.com/seeing-god-through-nature/

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Luke 1:5-7

Upright and Blameless

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 5, 2023

In Luke 1:5-7 we are introduced to the parents of John the Baptist, “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.” Abijah or (Abijam) was the son of Solomon by his Ammonite wife, Naamah. Abijah is in the line of David’s descendants to reign over Israel. Zechariah’s wife was a direct descendant of Aaron. He was a prominent and well-respected member of the Jewish race except they had no children. Herod was the last Idumean. The Idumeans were descents of Edom, a perennial enemy of Israel. Edomites were the offspring of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. Although Herod was an Idumean by birth, he appears to have been a Jew by religion. He is most famous for all his building projects, especially the Temple in Jerusalem. Edwards says, “The ruins of Herod’s buildings are still today more impressive than anything, ancient or modern, that visitors to Israel are likely to see. Nevertheless, despite his influence on the history, politics, and architecture of the first century, Herod lacked greatness of character and spirit and as a consequence did not change history. Herod sought in vain to immortalize himself and his reign, but at his death in 4 BC, an angel announces the dawn of a new kingdom that will have no end.”[1]

The Messiah was to establish an endless kingdom. The coming of this Messiah was to be prefixed with the coming of a messenger like Elijah who would proclaim the coming of the deliverer. Luke introduces us to a priest named “Zechariah.” The name means, “The Lord has remembered.” There were others with the same name in the Old Testament, but this time the name was to prove dramatically prophetic. But Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless. It’s interesting that in the prescientific age it is boldly pronounced to be Elizabeth’s fault. The text says she was “barren.” There was no greater disgrace for women in Israel. In Luke 1:24 she even refers to her situation as a disgrace or “reproach.” Sarah was barren. God sent her Isaac. Rachel was barren. God sent her Joseph and Benjamin. Hannah was barren. God sent her Samuel. God had a plan for each of these semi-miraculous births. Marshall observes, “A late rabbinic comment observes that whenever Scripture says that someone had no child, later one was born to her. So here the implied parallelism with Abraham and Sarah and other Old Testament couples prepares the reader for the possibility of a miracle.”[2] God opened the womb of Elizabeth in her old age and gave her a son that was to play an important role in the coming of the deliverer of all mankind. Notice too, that these semi-miraculous births were to set the stage for the truly miraculous birth of the Messiah. I believe that the original readers of Luke’s Gospel were well aware of the Old Testament stories of God opening the wombs of barren women. They know what is about to happen. A child is about to be born to this godly couple. The beauty of this couple is that in the face of their major life disappointment they continued to serve God and worship Him.

Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are at the heart of the bridge between the past and the present. Our pain may not be the absence of a child, but there is a myriad of things that can bring disappointment in life. Yet one thing neither Zechariah nor Elizabeth succumbed to was bitterness, even though Elizabeth felt “disgrace.” Bock suggested, “Maybe that is one reason God called them upright and blameless. But good people need to learn to rely even more on God. Sometimes the answer to their disappointment is not clear. Whether it be the loss of a child to premature death, a financial collapse, dealing with a child who falls into calamity or serious sin, or an unfortunate accident, the hard times are not always self-explanatory. God never guarantees that life will come without pain and disappointment. The central issue is how we handle it. Bitterness will yield the fruit of anger and frustration, sapping the joy from life. Trust and dependence will cause us to find fulfillment in ways we would not even have considered otherwise.”[3]

[1] Edwards, James R. 2015. The Gospel according to Luke. Edited by D. A. Carson. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.

[2] Marshall, I. Howard. 1978. The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Exeter: Paternoster Press.

[3] Bock, Darrell L. 1996. Luke. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

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Mark 1:2-3, Various

It is written!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 4, 2023

When someone says, “It is written” you can bet it’s something they believe to be absolutely reliable. Mark begins his Gospel by quoting from the Book of Isaiah. Mark 1:2-3 says, “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” When Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness to turn stones into bread, He answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Then Satan, attempting a new angle with Jesus, quotes from Psalm 91 and says, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands, they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” Satan quoted Psalm 91 correctly, but he misapplied it to Jesus in a way that was a misuse of the passage. Satan was “twisting” what the scriptures meant to fit his agenda and Jesus countered with another quote from Deuteronomy, “Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, you shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”

Many people have a problem with the Bible. It’s been banned in some countries and efforts to do so in some states have been proposed. While it is not technically “banned”, it is not a welcomed addition to many public schools and other institutions in the United States and other western countries. But what’s even more concerning is that more and more professing Christians don’t read the bible. Many don’t even know how to read it and use it as Satan did to promote their personal agenda. They rip verses out of context to make them say what they want them to say. The right understanding of any passage, as Jesus explains, cannot contradict any other passage in the bible. We must always ask, “what does the rest of the Bible say about this interpretation?” This makes the Old Testament quote that begins his Gospel so important.

The coming Messiah, as described in the Old Testament, would have a forerunner who would be sent to prepare the way for Jesus. Mark says that “what is written” about the forerunner comes from a passage in Isaiah. It might be worth noting that some of the ancient manuscripts of the book of Mark attribute the quote to “the prophets” rather than a specific prophet. One commentator says that the quote in Mark 1:2-3 is “…identified as coming from the prophet Isaiah, although it is actually a tapestry of three OT passages. The reference to the sending of the messenger in v. 2 follows the first half of both Exodus 23:20 and Malachi 3:1, although there is no exact counterpart in the OT to the latter half of v. 2 (who will prepare your way). The greater part of the tapestry comes in v. 3, which reproduces Isaiah 40:3 nearly exactly. Isaiah 40:3 is quoted by all four Gospels with reference to John the Baptizer as the forerunner of Jesus (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 1:76; John 1:23). The Isaiah quotation in v. 3 was deemed the defining element of the tapestry of quotations. Thus, the whole is attributed to Isaiah, who was considered the greatest of the prophets.” Quoting with the authoritative preface of “It is written” has the effect of linking the life and ministry of Jesus to the Old Testament. “Jesus is not an afterthought of God, as though an earlier plan of salvation had gone awry. Rather, Jesus stands in continuity with the work of God in Israel, the fulfiller of the law and the prophets. The introductory tapestry of Old Testament quotations not only links the person and ministry of Jesus inseparably with the preceding revelation of God in the Old Testament, but it makes the person and ministry of Jesus nonunderstandable apart from it. From a Christian theological perspective, this unites the New Testament uniquely and inseparably to the Old Testament. The gospel is understandable only as the completion of something that God began in the history of Israel. This excludes the possibility of Christians either dismissing or diminishing the importance of the Old Testament, or of attempting to ‘purge’ the gospel of its Jewish origins and context.”[1]

[1] Edwards, James R. 2002. The Gospel according to Mark. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.

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Matthew 1:2-17, Genesis 5

A Deathless Life!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 3, 2023

I’ve memorized genealogy lists in the Bible, not all of them, but those that traced the line to Jesus. The problem is, I can never remember them. You have to rehearse them at least once a week to maintain the list of names in your mind. It seems that after about a week they get lost in the deep recesses of my mind where I can’t find them anymore. The genealogy in the first chapter of Matthew is one of those lists I’ve tried to memorize. There are three sections in this genealogy: The first one is from Abraham to David. Then comes from David to the deportation to Babylon. The final one is from the Deportation to the birth of Jesus. Matthew 1:2-17 gives us the entire list. Instead of quoting it here in its entirety, which I can’t do anyway, (you can look it up), I’d like to point out a couple of interesting things regarding those on the list.

First of all, look at the women that are here. In the Old Testament Genealogies, especially those in Genesis, there are no women in those genealogies. But here we have Tamar who played the prostitute to get pregnant by her father-in-law Judah. Then we have Rahab the mother of Boaz who was the prostitute of Jericho. Then there is the mother of Obed, Ruth. She was a Moabitess, the product of incest between Lot and one of his two daughters. Then we have the mother of Solomon, Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah who had an affair with King David. The text says that David saw her bathing, sent for her, and “took her.” Does that mean he raped her? There is some debate regarding this issue. If David could murder, surely rape wasn’t something beyond him. There is another woman that is not named in the genealogy that should be mentioned. That was the mother of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. Her name was Naamah. She is not named but she was an Ammonite. Therefore, she was the descendant of the other daughter of Lot and therefore is the product of incest as well. My point is that we have a rape victim and two products of incest in the genealogy of Christ. Many of those who oppose abortion will make an exception for those conceived by rape or incest. The baby in the womb is guilty of neither of these offenses. If it’s life at conception, let’s protect it. We never know how God will use him/her to bless the world.

The genealogy in the fifth chapter of Genesis is widely noted for ending with “and he died.” They lived long lives, but the end was just the same except for Enoch who “was taken” by God. But, it’s a constant refrain in the book documenting God’s words to Adam that death would now be a part of the human experience. Chapter five of Genesis is often referred to as the “obituary chapter.” But the genealogy of Matthew does not mention death. It’s only “he begat.” It is through Adam’s line we inherited death. It’s through Christ’s line we can inherit eternal life through faith. Our Daily Bread commented on this passage by saying: You’ve probably heard the familiar story of the man whose name was printed in the obituary column of a daily paper by mistake. Greatly disturbed, he went to the newspaper office and exclaimed, “This is terrible! Your error will cause me no end of embarrassment and may even mean a loss of business. How could you do such a thing?” The editor expressed regrets, but the man remained angry and unreasonable. Finally, the editor said in disgust, “Cheer up, fellow, I’ll put your name in the birth column tomorrow and give you a fresh start!” That’s what happens when we find new life in Christ. Salvation changes our heritage from a living death to deathless life.

 

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Malachi 1:2

Just as I am

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 2, 2023

Zechariah makes it clear that God’s actions towards people are always motivated by His deep love for us. That great love is clearly expressed on Calvary. But, like Israel, we often doubt God’s love and question His good intentions towards us. This is the first thing that the prophet Malachi addresses. He says in Malachi 1:2, “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” A whole world of emotions is wrapped up in this question. It’s more of a bitter complaint against God than an actual question. At the time Malachi wrote, the people were complacent and steeped in ritual and routine in their worship of God. They were satisfied with a surface relationship with Him based on the performance of actions which then freed them to live their lives any way they wished. They thought they were doing very well, but God was not blessing them the way they expected. God owed them! He had not prospered them as He had promised. They remained a weak nation. Their work was hard. They were tilling the hard ground and scraping out a living from an unforgiving land. If God really loved them, things would be different! It’s often easy for us to feel like that too. We can easily become bitter over unmet expectations or hardships that confront us in life.

The writer of the book of Hebrews informs us that God’s grace is enough for us in all our circumstances of life, even the bad ones. Rejecting that grace brings bitterness that infects everyone around it. Hebrews 12:15 warns us, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” A web blogger wrote, “A bitter spirit can happen to any one of us if we aren’t careful. A bitter root can grow subtly in our hearts long before the fruit of it rises to the surface. Unresolved anger, an unforgiving attitude, resentment, jealousy, and continued disappointment are just a few of life’s struggles that cause us to plunge into bitterness.”[1] Prayer is a wonderful thing when it comes to resolving bitterness. It’s hard to hold on to grudges and animosity when addressing God from a sincere heart.

Charlotte Elliott was a bitter woman. Her health was broken and she became hardened to God. “If God loved me,” she muttered, “he would not have treated me this way.” A minister once told her that if she ever got tired of herself, of her sour, bitter and resentful spirit, to let him know. She later explained she could not come to Christ because of this ugliness in her. “How can I do that?” She asked. The minister encouraged her to bring all of it to God. Don’t try to hide it or deny it or suppress it. Just bring it, just as it is. She did and eventually experienced the peace of God. She wrote the poem which became the hymn “Just as I am.” He will accept us just as we are. Thankfully, He won’t leave us the way we are.

Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

[1] https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/7-bible-verses-to-help-overcome-bitterness/

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Zechariah 1:3

Oh Sinner, Come home!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
March 1, 2023

Zechariah reminded the Israelites that God was angry with their fathers because of their irredeemable rebellion which caused the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. But God’s wrath is not for those who are being addressed by the prophet. God wants to bring to them all the blessings he had promised the house of David. In verse 3, God tells Zechariah, “Therefore say to them, thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts.” “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies” is the most frequently repeated term in the post-exilic prophets for God. It’s sometimes translated as the “Lord of Hosts” as it is in the English Standard Version. It means all power & all control are in His command. The roll of the dice is His to determine. The success & failure of all our deeds are in His hands. He determines the rainfall, crops, weather, wealth, health, happiness, peace, joy, the nations, and everything else in the world. He is our creator and the one to whom we truly owe our allegiance. He made this the first commandment in the big 10. “I am the Lord your God, and you shall have no other gods before me.” When we break that commandment, God is rightfully jealous, and it is called sin.

No one likes the term “sin” anymore. It sounds too religious and too pompous to the world. We call it a “mistake.” At times it is just confusion or psychological flaws that we’ve received from our parents. We see our proclivity for one kind of sin or another as something that’s either genetic or imposed upon us by our society. But it is not our fault. The world needs to accept us as we are and not be judgmental. If I was born a male but want to be female, then you must make uni-sex bathrooms and make sports gender-neutral. You can’t impose any of your religious restrictions on me. Don’t you dare tell me that homosexuality is a sin? When the church surrenders to this position, all hope for such individuals is gone forever. We help perpetuate the secular standards in the society in which we live. But when we call it what God calls it: sin! There is hope! Sin is the best news there is, because, with sin, there’s a way out. You can’t repent of confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by your parents—you’re stuck with them. But you can repent of sin. Sin and repentance are the only grounds for hope and joy, the grounds for reconciled and joyful relationships with God and others. This is what John the Baptist and Jesus preached in the Gospels. The call was to “repent.” Turn back to God and he will turn back to you and restore the true joys of life.

Sexual sin is not the only sin, of course. We all have our proclivities, but God has sent Jesus to demonstrate his love for us and open the door of deliverance to all of us regardless of our own personal sins. I think we need to understand God’s call to us all through Christ is one of forgiveness and reconciliation it’s not one of judgment. We often feel that if we admit we’re sinners, we will face God’s judgment. The Gospel truth is that when we admit we’re sinners there is real hope for redemption. Alan Jackson sang the old song, “Softly and Tenderly” which captures God’s call. It goes:

“Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling – Calling for you and for me
See on the portals He’s waiting and watching – Watching for you and for me

Come home, come home – Ye who are weary come home
Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling – Calling, ‘O sinner come home’”.

 

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Haggai 1:5-6

Stop and think!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 28, 2023

After pointing out an irrefutable truth that they were investing in their own lives and ignoring their relationship with God, Haggai speaks for God and tells them in 1:5 to “Consider your ways.” He wants them to reflect on their lives. At least six times in this short book God says “consider your ways.” He wants them and us to think about how we are living. It’s one thing to ask about what you believe, but it’s another thing to ask if what you say you believe is acted upon in the way you live. He suggests that by looking at what you do, you can readily discern your major priorities. Haggai points to the fine houses they are living in and contrasts them with the broken-down temple, God’s house.  He’s saying “think about it. Doesn’t your actions indicate what you truly believe in?” Jesus once said, “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” I think Haggai is making a similar point.

I don’t think any warning could be more relevant for us today in a world that is running rampant with more things to do and activities to be involved in. We all live at such a hectic pace today and we often get so caught up with it that we have no time for God. When this happens, we truly lose out on what matters most in life. We spend all our energy climbing the ladder that we find is leaning against the wrong wall. We reach the top but what we thought we’d find is not there. I think that’s what Haggai is referring to in the following verse, Haggai 1:6, “You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” I think the people had enough to eat. It just didn’t satisfy. They had plenty of crops, but it didn’t matter in the end because they were left without any real meaning, purpose, and satisfaction in life.

They would earn wages that would be stored in a bag with holes. The result of all the effort was more dissatisfaction and discontentment. It reminds me of Jesus’ words to the woman at the well in Samaria. “Whoever drinks this water, will thirst again.” The things of earth will never satisfy. Haggai points at something the people could not deny and asked them to think about it. “What is really important to you?” he asks. We don’t have time to stop all the business and reflect on our lives. We move from one thing to another without pause. I’m always trying to multitask. I think I can do two things at a time. I spend way too much time fretting over regrets. I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have said that. I have trouble enjoying the sunrise or the sunset because my mind is reeling over things to do. Haggai says, “Stop it!” We need to set aside all the business in our lives and consider our priorities and compare them to our behavior. What is really important to me? Boda says, “These are displayed vividly in our financial priorities but are also seen in our time management, goal setting, and family expectations. In a world filled with increasing activities and opportunities, individuals and families need to ask serious questions about their priorities in light of God’s kingdom. What values do we bring to modern life and society that reflect the priorities of God? Will we establish individual and family rhythms of rest that release us from the tyranny of the urgent? Will we clear space in our schedules to hear the voice of God and rejuvenate our souls?[1]

[1] Boda, Mark J. 2004. Haggai, Zechariah. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

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Haggai 1:2-4, Matthew 6:32-33, John 10:10

Right Priorities

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
February 27, 2023

One of the great things about the Old Testament prophets is that they know how to convict us of our sins. Haggai 1:2-4 says, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’  Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, ‘Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?’” The Prophets are both foretellers and forth tellers. The tell what the future will hold based upon the present failure of God’s people. This passage is the “forth-telling” part of Haggai’s role. He puts things in such a way that we can’t help but see the error of our ways. Haggai points out how “these” people have misplaced priorities. Boda says, “This is displayed poignantly in the contrast between concern for their own homes and concern for God’s house. The issue here is not the amount of resources available but rather the priorities of the people. They are concerned first with themselves and their own comfort and extravagance. This message is not saying that one cannot enjoy the blessings of a home, but after two decades of inactivity at the temple site while homes were being built and beautified, the prophet identifies deficiencies in the priorities of the community.”[1]

Of course, this is a great passage to preach when a church begins a building project. I’ve used it myself. Since Haggai is stressing the importance of the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem, this application fits well. But there is a broader issue at hand. What happens is we get caught up in the world with our daily affairs and lose sight of what matters most. We might not admit it, but the truth is we think our happiness and satisfaction in life can be found in the things of the world rather than in a close relationship with God.  Just like the Israelites who returned from Captivity in Babylon to reoccupy the land, we can easily become enamored with life itself and simply drift away from our relationship with God. We always come away empty when that happens. This is what Solomon meant when he writes 34 times in the book of Ecclesiastes that “all is vanity.” It’s like chasing the wind. Meaning, purpose, and happiness are never found in the things of the world. Like the prodigal son chasing his fantasies, we eventually come to the end of ourselves and realize we’ve lost what matters most in life.

But when we know God through a relationship with Jesus Christ, we receive abundant life in His kingdom and a heavenly treasure worth far more than all the world’s silver and gold. In Matthew 6:32-33, Jesus tells us, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” What Jesus is saying to us is this: “Do you trust me to come through for you? Don’t you know that you’re significant and valuable to me? If you prioritize your life my way, I’m going to give the deepest things you long for in your heart because I love you.” In John 10:10, Jesus also tells us that he has come so that we might have real life to the fullest. Haggai pointed out some irrefutable truth in the lives of people that caused them pause. This makes me look at my own life.

[1] Boda, Mark J. 2004. Haggai, Zechariah. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

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