1. Be strong and work (1-5)

The small remnant of returned exiles began to rebuild the house of God. They were poor, and the work was hard. They soon realized that they could not build a wonderful, magnificent temple such as the one Solomon had built. They were discouraged. Haggai encouraged them to be strong and work hard. God had promised to be with them. The temple was the symbol of his Presence among them. They did not have to worry about reaching the glorious standards of the past--they just needed to keep on building by faith.

2. The desired of all nations (6-9)

They built the house of the Lord as they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah--the Desired of all nations. God himself would come and fill his house with his glory. His coming would shake the nations of the world. The house filled with the Spirit and Presence of God is far more glorious than the magnificent building which Solomon had built.

Application: Lord, help us to build your house by faith. Fill us with your Spirit today.
One Word: Build a spiritual house