Obey God – Page 3 – Be Still…

Nehemiah 6:15-19 – It’s Done!

Read Nehemiah 6:15-19

The wall is completed. It only took fifty-two days. That’s not even two months! Granted, there were many people working on that huge project, but I’m amazed at the short duration of time it took. I don’t imagine there were any cranes or bulldozers around to help move away the debris. Construction sites would have looked a lot different back then.

One of my favorite lines in this reading is about what the enemy’s thought about this great feat. Nehemiah said, “They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.” I feel like going into my storage boxes to find my cheerleading pom poms! It’s always a victory when people who don’t belong to our family of believers (yet) recognize God’s hand at work and give him the credit. It doesn’t happen much these days.

Malachi 2:1-9 – Shortcuts * Part Two

Read Malachi 2:1-9

Our last reading exposed the priests who were taking shortcuts and not honoring God in their sacrificial practices. Perhaps other areas of ministry were also suffering, but the prophecy was concerned with “shortcut” sacrifices that dishonored God.

We realize we, too, often fall short of giving God the priority he deserves. Today’s reading speaks to what happens when we do that. Malachi warns the priests that God will curse them for not following God’s ways and ignoring his instructions.

Zechariah 6:9-15 – The Crown of Christ

Read Zechariah 6:9-15

This is the last reading in the second section of Zechariah which has been dealing with leadership in the new age. It’s easy for us to see Jesus because we are sitting on this side of history. How exquisite such prophecies become when we see another facet of that beauty because of “when” we hear this message.

I often get caught up in details, wanting to take scripture literally. That isn’t always helpful, especially when we encounter texts like this. God has given us a rich picture of the future that goes beyond the details of who does what. What stands out to you?

Haggai 2:10-19 – Receive God’s Blessing

Read Haggai 2:10-19

The Book of Haggai gets specific with its dates more than most Bible prophets. If I were to receive a word from God to share with people like Haggai, I’d want to memorialize the encounter by keeping track of what date that miracle took place. Knowing the date confirms “when” God spoke and makes it easier to remember and celebrate! Like having a birthday – we intentionally celebrate that on a specific date.

God wants us to celebrate him so that he can celebrate us. This prophecy would suggest that God is looking at our actions as well as our inner souls. When is the last time you celebrated God? Maybe you can look back and see his fingerprints over a particular situation. I do that all the time and stand amazed.

Haggai 1:12-15 – Listen to God

Read Haggai 1:12-15

We’re given another exact date in our text, and it’s roughly three weeks after the one in our last reading. Even if it took a little time, I liked how the leaders paid attention to Haggai and didn’t ignore the message from God. I imagine they were delighted to hear God had not abandoned them. Even better, they had received clear instructions. After their time of deliberating, they got to work.

What do you think it was about that message in our last reading that really stirred them? Maybe it was those clear instructions! I always like when I get confirmation from God that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Just as precious, when I get off course, I always appreciate the correction—but perhaps not right away.