Haggai 1

Verse of the Day: V14 “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,”

1.  Word (V1-2)

V1 “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,”

Haggai received God’s word to admonish the governor and the high priest that the people of Judah had time only to build their own houses, but had no time to build God’s house.

V2 “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.”

2.  Wood (V3-11)

V6 “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.”

Haggai patiently pleaded with the people that the Lord shall only be pleased and glorified if they would go to the mountain and gathered wood for the building of God’s house.

V8 “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.”

3.  Work (V12-15)

V12 “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.”

Finally, the governor, the high priest and the people of Judah obeyed God’s holy word, and went to the mountain to gather wood to work and build God’s house for God’s glory.

V14 “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,”

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to obey Your word, and work for Your glory.

Zephaniah 3

Verse of the Day:V5 “The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”

1.  Filthy (V1-4)

V1 “Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city!”

The Almighty God through Prophet Zephaniah pronounced severe judgment upon the people of Judah. The people of Judah had rebelled against God. They had disobeyed His voice, received not His correction, trusted not in Him, and refused to draw near to Him. They had polluted God’s holy city, and it had become a filthy, wicked and sinful city.

V2 “She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.”

2.  Faileth (V5-7)

V5 “The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.”

Prophet Zephaniah encouraged the people of Judah who believed and trusted in God that the just Lord was in the midst of them daily even though they were living in a filthy, wicked and sinful city. The Lord promised those who believed and trusted in Him that He shall never fail them, not even once, and to those who rebelled against Him, He shall judge and destroy them and their cities, until there shall be no city or inhabitant left.

V6 “I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.”

3.  Fear (V8-20)

V12 “I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD.”

Zephaniah prophesied that there shall be a remnant of people, though afflicted and poor, yet they shall trust in the name of the Lord. This remnant shall not fear God’s judgment which shall only be upon the wicked. They shall not be slack in their service of God, but shall continue to serve Him, until the Lord shall promote them to His kingdom in heaven. 

V16 “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to trust You as You will never fail me, not even once.

Zephaniah 2

Verse of the Day:V3 “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.”

1.  Seek (V1-3)

V2 “Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger come upon you.”

Zephaniah warned the people to seek the Lord and His righteousness and meekness before God’s anger would come upon them and destroyed them because of their sins.

V3 “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.”

2.  Sodom (V4-11)

V9 “Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.”

Zephaniah reminded the people of Moab and Ammon of how the God of Israel had completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah which were once great and prosperous cities because of their sins and wickedness. God would again completely destroy any city when the people became proud and arrogant, and blatantly and grievously sinned against Him.

V10 “This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.”

3.  Sword (V12-15)

V12 “Ye Ethiopians also, ye shall be slain by my sword.”

Zephaniah warned the Ethiopians that God allowed their enemies to destroy them with their swords because of their sins. He warned everyone in any city who lived carelessly and wickedly, that the Lord would surely judged and punished them, and their city shall be desolated where only beasts lived, and people who passed by them shall despise them.

V15 “This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand.”

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, please help me to seek You and Your righteousness and meekness.

Zephaniah 1

Verse of the Day:V1 “The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.”

1.  The Word (V1-2)

V1 “The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.”

Zephaniah was not only God’s prophet but he was also from the royal line of the kings of Judah. The Word of the Lord came to Zephaniah to warn the people of Judah to repent of their sins but the people refused to obey God’s Word and continued in their sins.

V2 “I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.”

2.  The Wicked (V3-13)

V3 “I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.”

Zephaniah warned the wicked unless they repent of their worship of Baal or the sin of gross immorality and greed, and obey God’s Word, the Almighty God shall totally consume and destroyed them together with the beasts, the fowls and the fishes. It was a day of wrath that God would destroy every living creature because of the sins of mankind.  

V4 “I will also stretch our mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;”

3.  The Wrath (V14-18)

V15 “That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.”

Zephaniah warned the people that there shall come a day of trouble where no one, not even the richest or the most powerful, shall escape God’s wrath and jealousy. Only those who repent their sins and obey God’s Word shall escape God’s wrath and punishment.

V18 “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to repent of my sins and obey Your Word.

Habakkuk 3

Verse of the Day:V18 “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

1.  Remember (V1-7)

V1 “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.”

Prophet Habakkuk was afraid and fearful as he heard the voice of the Almighty God that He was about to severely judge and punish the people of Israel because they had sinned and rebelled against Him. Habakkuk prayed and pleaded with the Lord to revive the people, and in His wrath to remember to have mercy upon them. Though the people had sinned against the Lord, Habakkuk prayed that God would graciously spare the remnant who had obeyed and trusted Him, and did not shame and disgrace the name of the Lord.

V2 “O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.”

2.  Rivers (V8-16)

V8 “Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?”

Habakkuk reminded the people that it was not because God was angry with the river Jordan and the Red sea that He miraculously parted them. God performed the miracles because He loved His people. God parted the Red sea so that His people could escape from the pursuit of the Egyptian soldiers, and He parted the river Jordan so that they could possess the Promised Land. Let us rejoice in the Lord and trust Him in everything.

V9 “Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.”

3.  Rejoice (V17-19)

V17 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:”

Habakkuk encouraged the people that if they could trust the Lord for their salvation and their souls, could they not trust Him for their physical needs, and rejoiced in Him. Even though their fig trees shall not blossom, and they shall have no fruit, or olive, or meat, or flock or herd, yet God shall miraculously supply all their needs as He had done in the past.

V18 “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, please help me to rejoice in You for You are the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk 2

Verse of the Day: V4 “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”

1.  Live (V1-11)

V2 “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.”

The Almighty God commanded Prophet Habakkuk to write down the vision upon tables which taught the people of Israel that God shall bless those who live by faith in God, and God alone. However, the people failed to live by faith in God, and instead they lived by sight and trust in their own understanding. Their souls were lifted up and they were too proud to worship God, and refused to acknowledge Him as the only true and living God.

V4 “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”

2.  Labour (V12-17)

V12 “Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!”

God through Habakkuk warned the people to live by faith, and never to hurt and harm others in order to get power and wealth. If they hurt and harm others, it would be like labouring for fire, which would ultimately burn and consume them, and all their labour shall be in vain. God shall only bless the just who live by faith in Him, and Him alone.

V13 “Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?”

3.  Lies (V18-20)

V18 “What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?”

Habakkuk warned the people to be weary of the teacher of lies who taught the people to make graven images and idols, and to worship these dumb idols. These false teachers taught the people to live by sight and trust in their own understanding, instead of living by faith and trusting in the true God who shall reward those who diligently seek Him.
 
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, please help me to live by faith in You, and You alone.

Habakkuk 1

Verse of the Day: V2 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!”

1.  The Law (V1-4)

V2 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!”

Prophet Habakkuk was getting impatient with God as he saw the wicked prospered and the righteous suffered, and there seemed to be no law and justice in the land of Israel.

V4 “Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.”

2.  The Land (V5-11)

V6 “For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.”

Habakkuk could not understand why the Lord sent the Chaldeans to invade the land of Israel, when God could have just judged His own people. Habakkuk saw the Chaldeans mocked the true God of Israel thinking that their god was more superior to the God of Israel, and continued in their wickedness and idolatry. However, God is not mocked as subsequently God judged and punished the Chaldeans for their wickedness and idolatry.

V11 “Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.”

3.  The LORD (V12-17)

V12 “Are thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.”

Habakkuk finally understood that the LORD was an everlasting and holy God and that His ways and thoughts were different from man’s ways and thoughts. Habakkuk realised that the reason why God seemed slow to judge and punish the wicked was because He is longsuffering, and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should believe in Him, repent of their sins, and have a glorious heaven to gain, and a fiery hell to shun.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to be longsuffering and trust You in everything.

Nahum 3

Verse of the Day: V19 “There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?”

1.  Woe (V1-5)

V1 “Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not;”

It was woe or trouble in the bloody city of Nineveh because the people had committed lies and robbery and sinned against the holy God. Instead of repenting their wickedness, they continued in their wickedness, and hence, the Almighty God pronounced woe and judgment upon them, and exposed their sins and shame to all the kingdoms of the world.

V5 “Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame.”

2.  Women (V6-18)

V10 “Yet was she carried away, she went into captivity: her young children also were dashed in pieces at the top of all the streets: and they cast lots for her honourable men, and all her great men were bound in chains.”

The gates were wide opened and the enemies came charging in, attacking, burning, and destroying everything in the city of Nineveh, and killing almost all the soldiers and men including young children who were dashed in pieces, and capturing the leaders or the great men of Nineveh as prisoners of war. Only the women in the city were left behind.

V13 “Behold, thy people in the midst of thee are women: the gates of thy land shall be set wide open unto thine enemies: the fire shall devour thy bars.”

3.  Wound (V19)

V19 “There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?”

God severely punished the people of Nineveh, and the only way for God’s healing hands upon them was that they humbled themselves, prayed, sought His face and turned from their sins, then would God hear them, forgive their sins and heal their bruises and wounds.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicle 7:14)

Prayer of the Day:
 
Dearest God, please help me to repent of my sins, and heal my bruises and wounds.

Nahum 2

Verse of the Day: V13 “Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.”

1.  The Shield (V1-3)

V3 “The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation, and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.”

Time and time again, the people of Nineveh rebelled against the Almighty God and sinned against Him. They thought they were invincible and their shields and chariots were the mightiest weapons in the entire world, until God humbled and defeated them.

V4 “The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.”

2.  The Store (V8-7)

V8 “But Nineveh is of old like a pool of water: yet they shall flee away. Stand, stand, shall they cry; but none shall look back.”

Nobody can declare war against God and prevail against Him. God punished the people of Nineveh by sending their enemy to destroy them.  Subsequently they lost everything they had - their store and glory of treasures, their gold and silver, and their precious lives.

V9 “Take ye the spoil of silver, take the spoil of gold: for there is none end of the store and glory out of all the pleasant furniture.”

3.  The Sword (V8-15)

V13 “Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.”

The people of Nineveh never imagined that the Almighty God could make them lose everything they had, as He sent the sword of destruction upon them. No one can escape the hands of an angry God. Let us choose to be on God’s side and trust and obey Him, than to rebel against Him and lose everything we have including our precious souls.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were in the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to choose to be on Your side and serve You.

Nahum 1

Verse of the Day:V7 “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”

1.  Burden (V1-3)

V1 “The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.”

The Almighty God had put a burden of Nineveh, the wicked city, on the tender heart of Prophet Nahum. Though the Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, yet He never allows wickedness to prevail in all the cities of the world. Time and again, God would sent His prophets to pronounce His judgments upon all the wicked to repent of their sins.

V3 “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.”

2.  Bashan (V4-7)

V4 “He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.”

The Lord not only judges and punishes the wicked, but He is in control of everything. The Lord rebukes the sea and rivers, and makes them dry. The Lord destroys the most fertile lands like Bashan, Carmel and Lebanon, and makes them wastelands. No one can escape God’s judgment and sovereignty. Unless the wicked repent of their sins, God will not hear their cries and forgive their sins. It is not whether you know the Lord, but most importantly, whether the Lord knows you, and acknowledges you as His precious child.

V7 “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”

3.  Bonds (V8-15)

V13 “For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.”

God declared through Nahum that He would break the yoke and bonds of the people of Israel from their enemies when they would truly repent of their sins and wickedness. The Lord assured and promised them that they shall have peace and be freed from the burdens and bonds of their enemies when they would trust and obey Him and His commandments.

V15 “Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.”

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You that You know me as I truly trust and obey You.