Have you ever put something off until you were “ready” for it, until you could execute the plan perfectly, until you could see your way clear to the end?
“I’ll get to that,” you said, “just as soon as the chaos in my life settles.”
After all, it’s safer to hang back, to “wait and see,” to stay well within the bounds of your comfort zone.
And the thing remains undone, because the chaos just keeps swirling.
Different day, different chaos.
Surely this was the mindset of an entire nation when Israel returned to Jerusalem and began rebuilding amidst the rubble left by the Babylonian conquest. City walls lay in ruins, and the glorious temple of Solomon had been looted and flattened. Standing there in the chaos, the people were numb, overwhelmed, and so they put their hands first to the task of making life bearable. The temple could wait. They needed a home address and a place to hang their hats.
The Bible picks up the story “in the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, [when] the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet.” We hardly ever crack open our Bibles to the book of Haggai (and we’re not quite sure how to pronounce his name—do you give it two syllables or three?). Nevertheless, God gave Haggai two chapters in the sacred text and the divine assignment of lighting a fire under the seats of the remnant.
Haggai’s exhortation to consider their ways was just the push they needed. Then, sensing from the Lord that some of the builders might be comparing the present temple with the glory of the former and feeling the lack, Haggai delivered a three-fold command to be strong (Haggai 2:4).
He assured them that God would certainly fulfill his covenant with them.
They were not to become tangled up in the past.
They were not to make an idol of former things.
They were to begin building for the future in the here and now.
God would not be limited by the size or the appearance of a building.
“In this place I will give peace,” declared the Lord of Heaven’s armies.
Trusting God, the people began to work.
Haggai’s strong leadership and his timely rebuke invite us to examine our own hearts with this question: “Am I putting off a clear directive from God because I’m waiting for the ‘right’ time?”
God will meet you in the present moment. He is not a cardboard character in some historical record, and he is not limited by the circumstances that feel limiting to you.
As he promised to give peace to Israel “in this place,” will you trust him to give peace to you in this place, at this time, in this present moment on the clock, this present day on the calendar?
In 2026, I want to be more present— wherever I am. When I am with the people I love, I want to be all there. I need to inhabit fully the time and space God has ordained for me to inhabit, to stay present to the emotions that come and the season I’m living through.
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God will meet you in the present moment. He is not a cardboard character in some historical record, and he is not limited by the circumstances that feel limiting to you.
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This one resonates as all of yours do! No words are more true “And the thing remains undone, because the chaos just keeps swirling. Different day, different chaos.”
Like this! “He is not a cardboard character in some historical record, and he is not limited by the circumstances that feel limiting to you. ”
Always making me think in the best ways!
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It’s a gift to think together about the important details of the following life. By ourselves, we could easily go off course…
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Oh yes, I am not one to procrastinate much but when I do it’s usually for something big because I want to wait until I have the “right” time/mindset to deal with it.
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Exactly! We assume that because we can’t see our way ALL THE WAY through the situation, it must be too hard or too risky or…
I think it takes a muscular faith to step into the unknown, especially if other people are going to be affected in the process.
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I have a tendency to procrastinate so this one hits home. I love God’s declaration that he would give peace “in this place”.
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This is such good news. Our peace does not come from a new location or a new set of circumstances. We can find peace with Christ in the present!
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“In this place …” Powerful words. I am so very grateful our God meets us in the present moment. Time to read Haggai.
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Haggai is a hidden gem, tucked into the final pages of the Old Testament. Enjoy every minute!
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Our youth pastor had two Sundays where he was filling in the pulpit and he chose Haggai. His sermons were titled, Consider your Ways, and Reset your priorities. I couldn’t say for certain but I do think those were the first sermons I’d heard on Haggai. I, too, want to be ‘present’ in whatever God is allowing day by day in my life. Blessings.
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Good for your youth pastor!
I think those pages are still stuck together in most people’s Bibles. It’s a shame we’re so intimidated by the Minor Prophets, because they lived through times not unlike our own!
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I confess I’ve not studied Haggai. Looks like I need to because the points you set out from the book definitely spoke to me!
Also, love the line: different day, different chaos. That pretty much sums up life in the 21st century!
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We are doing a Bible survey class for our adults and when we went sailing through Haggai, I was stunned with how much goodness there was in those few pages.
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Sometimes it’s so hard to know what’s better and what’s best. We need God’s wisdom, and sometimes a nudge, to work on His priorities.
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That’s such a great point. I am so aware of the need for wisdom, not only for the decisions I consider to be “big,” but for ordering my days and planning my work—and for letting go of my plans when something comes along that I need to attend to.
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I’m not rebuilding a temple but I know what it’s like to compare the present with the “glory of the former” and feel the lack. Haggai’s threefold command is for me too … thanks for this timely post, Michele.
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Asking us to “trust God to give us peace” is so profound. Thank you for your sharing your insight into this book.
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I’ve seen it in my own life, Amy. The peace comes with the trusting. And I think it’s a lesson we have to learn anew every single time something comes into our life that catches us off guard.
Thanks so much for reading.
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The exact “right” time often never comes. But we do have this moment, this time. I have appreciated your “present” posts this year, Michele.
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Yes, and the present moment is often the best time to begin something new.
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