Consider Your Ways
📖 Haggai 1:5 (KJV) Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
God’s people often struggle, not because God has failed but because they have put Him second.
✅ Introduction
Before the events of Haggai, the people of Israel had turned away from God for generations falling into idolatry, injustice, and disobedience despite repeated warnings from prophets.
Because of this, God brought judgment through the empire of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar II.
Jerusalem was destroyed (around 586 BC)
The temple was burned
The people were taken captive into Babylon
This captivity was not random it was God disciplining His people for their sin (see 2 Chronicles 36:15–21).
After about 70 years (as prophesied by Jeremiah), God raised up Cyrus the Great of Persia, who conquered Babylon.
📖 Ezra 1:1-3 (KJV) Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
Cyrus made a decree allowing the Jews to:
Return to Jerusalem
Rebuild the temple
This was God keeping His promise and restoring His people. So the people returned settled in and but got too comfortable forgetting about God and their life started having issues again.
1️⃣ MISPLACED PRIORITIES (God’s House Lies Waste)
📖 Haggai 1:1-4 (KJV) 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, 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. 3 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?
So the issue we have here is that the people got back from captivity and first worried about themselves which eventually got them too comfortable with their own life rather than putting God first in our life.
The mistake people make is they say, “well I will sort my life out first then worship God?” The problem though is God is the one that will sort your life out! And this is the problem we see in history with the Jews is a pattern that when the Jews tried to live their life and sort it by themselves it never worked, but when they put God first all of sudden their life is working out.
📖 Matthew 6:31-33 (KJV) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
So God knows our needs and he will sort our life out if we put God first.
✅ Example: Martha & Mary
📖 Luke 10:38-42 (KJV) Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
So whats more important, cleaning the house or hearing the words of Jesus? We can apply this to our life, whats more important, cleaning our house or go to church?
It’s possible to build a successful life growing your business, increasing comfort, and staying productive yet still be out of God’s will if He is not first. The danger is not always in doing wrong things, but in allowing good things to take God’s place. When priorities shift, even what is beneficial can become a distraction, because anything that replaces God ultimately leads us away from His purpose.
This is what happened to the Jews at the time of their freedom, when God gave them another chance they weren’t thankful, because you would think if someone saved you from slavery you would be ever so grateful?
2️⃣ FRUSTRATED LIVING (Much Effort, Little Return)
📖 Haggai 1:5-8 (KJV) Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. 7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. 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.
When God is not first, life becomes empty, dry, and unfulfilled.
📖 Psalms 127:1 (KJV) A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
This is a true saying of God, if you try to build your life without God then your in danger of it going nowhere just like the jews here, now we can say but look at the wicked that are rich, well they aren’t escaping God Judgment, and their life is not all roses, just because some unsaved person has money or a famous life doesn’t mean they happy, don’t believe they got it all under control because unsaved successful struggle in many other ways that money can’t them.
Working hard but not satisfied
Making money but no peace
Always chasing, never fulfilled
Without God’s blessing, effort doesn’t equal success
3️⃣ THE TURNING POINT (Consider Your Ways)
📖 Haggai 1:7 (KJV) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
Before God changes your situation, He calls you to examine yourself
📖 Lamentations 3:40-47 (KJV) Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. 41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. 42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. 43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. 44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through. 45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. 46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. 47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
Here we see the prophet suffering with his people for disobeying God, and his response is “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD”
📖 Psalms 139:23-24 (KJV) Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Ask yourself:
Is God truly first in my life?
What have I neglected spiritually?
What needs to change today?
Revival starts with honest self-examination
4️⃣ OBEDIENCE & REVIVAL (God Stirred Their Spirit)
📖 Haggai 1:12-15 (KJV) 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. 13 Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD. 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, 15 In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
When God’s people obey, God moves
📖 James 4:8 (KJV) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
We have to go to God first before he comes to us, and many people are living the other way, they say “I’ll wait till I got my life sorted then I’ll serve God?” Wrong, these people never get there, because the way to a blessed life is obedience.
📖 James 1:22-25 (KJV) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
📖 1 John 3:21-22 (KJV) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
Revival is not emotional it’s obedience
God gives strength AFTER you step forward
God meets you when you move, I have a saying that goes “do your best and God will do the rest”
5️⃣ FUTURE GLORY (Greater Than Before)
📖 Haggai 2:9 (KJV) The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
What God is building now may seem small but His plan is greater than you see
📖Matthew 13:30-31 (KJV) Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
The same happens in our life, we start with worshipping God and eventually God will take you to great places if you sail that ship, God will do great things with you.
📖 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
📖 Romans 8:28 (KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Don’t compare your present to the past
Stay faithful God is building something eternal
👉 God’s end result is always greater than the beginning
📖 Haggai 1:8 (KJV) 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.
👉 God is saying:
Stop delaying
Stop making excuses
Start rebuilding what matters
Have you put God second?
Has your life felt dry and unfulfilled?
Are you ready to consider your ways?
