1:1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest: 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house. ’” 3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin? " 5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” Haggai 1:1-6

Haggai is obviously a message to a nation with their priorities out of whack. Unfortunately, this too easily applies to our world and personal lives today. It's so easy to put things, even GOOD things, before our relationship with God and taking time to listen for His will in our lives. How often have we struggled to figure out why ends that should be meeting are just not quite working they way they should? How often are we frustrated by plans that should be foolproof- but yet we were foolish enough to make them without confirming with the One who holds tomorrow?

6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, ’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace, ’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

God, the God of the Universe, this great big entity that we can't understand or squeeze into our minds, has a will that is underlying every movement of the earth. He is portrayed so often as a distant, ancient ruler who doesn't really get involved or impose His will because He provides grace so that He doesn't have to deal with our dirtiness. This chapter paints a very strong, very involved, completely in control, personal God whose spoken word is the same reality as it was in creation. His will is accomplished and He leaves us with a choice: We can either step up and be a part of that will in a good way, or ignorantly be used as a tool (even the wicked are used as His tools); either way, His plan is going to happen. It's like He's saying: "If you could just see the bigger picture that I have planned, your routines and life that you get stuck in would be the last thing you desired and getting closer to Me would be your priority." This chapter emphasizes that when we honor God, everything else falls in line like it should.

If our priorities aren't straight, everything else is messed up by default:

2:11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: 12 If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated? ’”

The priests answered, “No.”

13 Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”

“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled. ”

14 Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.

It's important that his examples taken from the law show that it is easier to contaminate things than it is to make them holy. By offering sacrifices in an attitude of compensation for not making the temple of God their priority, while the sacrifices were not unclean themselves, their attitude stunk and canceled them out. It reminds me of 1 Samuel 15:22
"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." This concept is also echoed in the first chapter of Isaiah.

This theme is repeated so often in the Bible because we easily get our priorities misaligned. If we can put Him first, though, like the children of Israel in Haggai's time, we will see God's blessing in every area of our lives.

2:19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

“‘From this day on I will bless you.’”

Still, there's something more important. Besides doing something to avoid hell, besides doing something for a blessing, Jesus' example took it to a more personal level. He made the will of God his nourishment.

John 4:31-38
In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

The will of God was Jesus' very sustenance... and He explains what that will is: reconciling the world to God.

In my small, carnal mind- being so in tune with God's will is hard to fathom. It comes down to trusting that God's will is best and really believing it. When our heart is right, our actions will follow. When our heart is not right, right actions do not make up for it, as the people found with their sacrifices in Haggai. Funny how we can know things in our head, but still don't get them into our heart so that they can impact our actions.

This is the prayer that is echoing in my heart: Psalm 86:11 "Teach me your way O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."