What the Bible Says About
Spiritual Shortsightedness in Giving
During Haggai’s time, shortsightedness plagued God’s people. Although it had been sixteen years since the Jews returned from their Babylonian captivity and had begun rebuilding the temple, it still remained in disrepair. The people were more interested in their own homes than in the house of the Lord. So the Lord rebuked them, saying: “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why? . . . Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house” (Hag. 1:9).
The problem was that the people assumed that they could put their own interests ahead of God’s and still prosper. Instead of giving freely to the Lord and honoring Him for His provision, they busied themselves with seeking their own prosperity. Yet the Lord had warned against this kind of flawed thinking long before: “Do not weary yourself to gain wealth, cease from your consideration of it. When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens” (Prov. 23:4, 5).
A similar thing took place in Malachi’s day. The people hoarded their possessions instead of rightfully bringing their tithes and offerings to the Lord. Yet God called it robbery and admonished them to “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse” (Mal. 3:10). He promised that if they honored Him, He would “rebuke the devourer” so that it would not “destroy the fruits of the ground,” and He would make them into “a delightful land” (vv. 11, 12).
Do you believe that? Do you trust that when you honor God by giving, He blesses you in return? If not, then you are being spiritually shortsighted. When you give, you show your gratitude for the Lord’s provision and your confidence that He will continue to meet all your needs (Phil. 4:19). Your willingness to give to God declares your level of faith. When you refuse to obey with your time, talents, and tithe, the devourer comes and consumes the fruit of your labors. As He told the people in Jerusalem, “You have sown much, but harvest little . . . and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes” (Hag. 1:6).
You simply cannot afford the shortsightedness that robs God of His due. The apostle Paul instructs, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:6, 7). So give to Him freely and gladly, for He has given you everything you have and has many more blessings to bestow. Honor Him, giving Him the first part of your time and resources—because surely, you will never be able to outgive God. He will multiply all that you commit to Him and show you all that is really yours as His child.
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23. You can never outgive God.
1:7 — Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways!”
The people in Jerusalem claimed that it was not yet time to rebuild the temple; however, they did so for selfish reasons (Hag. 1:2, 4). So God commanded them to examine themselves as to why nothing they did was bearing fruit (v. 6). We should always measure our lives against the light and truth of God’s Word. Through Scripture, the Holy Spirit can alert us to dangerous trends in our lives or confirm that we’re heading in the right direction (Heb. 4:12).
1:13 — Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke by the commission of the LORD to the people saying, “‘I am with you,’ declares the LORD.”
Within a month of Haggai’s message, the people of Jerusalem were shaken from their slothfulness, fear, and selfishness, and again commenced their work on the temple. Rarely did a prophetic message take root in a community as swiftly as this one. Yet remember, the Holy Spirit empowers us to carry out God’s commands. He gives us the courage, strength, and ability we need. Do not hesitate to obey God in the midst of your trouble. He will equip you to carry out whatever He calls you to do because He assumes full responsibility for your needs when you submit yourself to Him.
2:3 — “‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?’”
Haggai’s second sermon took place on the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Booths; Lev. 23:33–44), which was a celebration of God’s past and present provision for them. Very few were still alive who had seen the temple in its former glory seven decades earlier, yet the knowledge of its past magnificence must have discouraged the people greatly because they knew that anything they could build would be inferior. Yet God promised that He would work through them to create a house of greater glory than before (Hag. 2:9). Sometimes a problem may seem so overwhelming to us that we wish to ignore it. However, when God calls us to a task, we are responsible to face it and do our best. He wants us to fix our eyes on Him and the greater things He has planned for us.
2:4 — “‘All you people of the land take courage,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you.’”
We can work hard and effectively for the Lord when we remember that He has promised to be with us. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.
Answers to Life’s Questions
How can I feel secure in the Lord during troubled times?
When you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can be certain of one thing in any time of trouble, suffering, hardship, difficulty, pain, or tragedy: the Lord is with you! Time and again in His Word, He assures you of His presence:
• “The LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him” (2 Chr. 15:2).
• “Stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf . . . Do not fear or be dismayed” (2 Chr. 20:17).
• “‘Do not be afraid of him,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand’” (Jer. 42:11).
• “‘All you people of the land take courage,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you’” (Hag. 2:4).
Jesus said the same thing to His disciples: “I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20).
The apostle Paul considered this truth and asked, “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8:31). Don’t answer his question too quickly. The truth is, many people can rise up against us. They can cheat us, harass us, persecute us, insult us, mock us, and even physically injure us. But here’s the point: in the end, they cannot win.
That is why Jesus said, “You will be betrayed . . . and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish” (Luke 21:16–18). If you belong to God, He gives you the eternal victory. Period. No one can take away what He has so freely provided for you.
When rough times come, immerse yourself in God’s Word. Read His promises to you, His beloved child. Read about His power, His strength, His wisdom, and His love. Read how He has helped countless men and women through the ages as they trusted in Him. Read about His saving, delivering, and restoring power.
The more you read and study God’s Word, the stronger your faith will grow.
The more you trust God, the more you will grow in your understanding that He is trustworthy in all things, at all times.
The more you take courage in the Lord’s presence with you, the more secure you will feel—even in the most troubling of times and the most trying of circumstances. The Lord alone is your security, every moment of your life.
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4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.
2:19 — “Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.”
While the people of Jerusalem pursued their own goals, their lives were unproductive and unsatisfying (Hag. 1:6–11). However, the moment they resumed their work on the temple by laying its foundation (2:18), God began to bless them anew. Although they did not see the blessings immediately, they would be able to trace the fruitfulness of their crops and the fulfilling nature of their lives back to the day they submitted themselves to the Lord. God asks for our obedience today so that He may bless us tomorrow. Though His blessings may not appear as soon as we obey, we can be sure that we will reap what we sow, more than we sow, and later than we sow. We can also be confident that God is working on our behalf when we wait for Him.