Do not Fear

Haggai 2:4,5 "'Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel', says the Lord, 'and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest', says the Lord, 'and work; for I am with you', says the Lord of hosts. 'According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My spirit remains among you: do not fear!'"

Talk about needing this verse. After I wrote yesterday, I continued to see stuff about our economy and the things that I saw were not good. I wasn't looking for it, It just happened to be in front of my face and in my ears. All of this garbage about the economy and the budget and the country going down the tubes can really make you concerned…at least it does me. Then I read this: "Be strong…and work, for I am with you…do not fear."

The people that Haggai was talking to heeded his warning and got their priorities straight. They worked and rebuilt the house of the Lord. The result was that God gave them assurance. He said: "The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine." V8 and that has not changed. The silver and gold are still owned by God. He owns it all. He provides it all. He gives what He desires to give and He withholds what He desires to withhold. Remember, these people had food, and clothes and money but these things did not meet their needs because they were not putting God first. Watch what happens when their priorities straighten out: "Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you." V19 So, "be strong and work for I am with you the covenant I gave you is still true and my Spirit remains among you so do not fear."

Great advice for Israel…great advice for the church…great advice for me. When it looks like everything is caving in, do not fear because I am with you so be strong and work hard. God has made a covenant. He has made a promise. He has said: "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" Heb 13:5,6 We, unfortunately get our eyes on the wrong thing and we focus on the problem in front of us, or the money we want to make, or the stuff we want to accumulate but God says: "Put Me first and here is my covenant that I will remember…I will never leave or forsake you, so do not fear just be strong and work." God does not leave us alone but he also does not leave us out of the equation either. He expects us to have the right priorities and work.

This is just what we need as we watch things unfold in the future. "Be strong, work, don't fear for I am with you. My Spirit is among you. I am going to keep my covenant."