The Prophet Haggai was among those who first returned to Judah after Judah’s 70-year Babylonian captivity. The Jews were allowed to return after the Persian empire defeated Babylon. God spoke to Haggai during the second year of Persia’s rule under King Darius.
God told Haggai that God wanted His Temple to be rebuilt. Jerusalem was being rebuilt, and the people had built houses in which to live. However, the Temple had not been rebuilt. Construction had not even begun. Therefore, God had been withholding His blessings upon the people because they had not prioritized the rebuilding of the Temple. Their crops were not producing well. The people were hungry, and they were uncomfortable because God was not blessing them.
When the governor of Judah heard Haggai’s words, he immediately directed the Temple to be rebuilt. Construction commenced three months later. When the construction began, God again spoke to Haggai. God told Haggai that God’s blessings would return to Judah.
God’s blessings were linked to action and not just words. So, it is with us today. God will bless us when we act on our Faith. Genuine Faith is validated by our deeds. The Bible says, “Faith without works is dead.” We cannot produce good fruit in our lives if we hold our Faith inside and do not act. The Bible says that ‘we are saved by Faith through God’s grace.’ However, genuine Faith is accompanied by action. Therefore, we must act on our Faith in order to please God.