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Zechariah 7 starts with the people questioning if God wanted them to continue fasting, as they had done for many years in captivity. In response, God questions their intentions — “When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? ” (Zech 7:5) God, who knows the hearts of men perfectly, knew that their fast wasn’t out of repentance, but rather because they were in a period of mourning for their plight. Instead, God wanted their obedience to the many warnings He sent through the prophets (Zech 7:7), revealing God’s desire for obedience and sincere repentance over empty actions. Similarly, Isaiah 58 tells us more about fasting that is accepted by God, with the emphasis on the intention and accompanying actions when one fasts. “…Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.” (Isaiah 58:3-4, ESV) The Israelites’ fast was rejected by God as they continued in their wicked ways, instead of fasting accompanied by righteousness and compassion (Isaiah 58:6-8). Fasting expresses our devotion to God when done with the right heart . Today, we often have church-wide fasts before Spiritual Meetings and large-scale Evangelistic Services where we pray for God’s guidance and for His Spirit to work mightily around us. When we take part in these fasts, let us also consider if we are doing so with the right heart. Reflecting on our intentions also applies to other things beyond fasting, like prayer, Bible-reading, reaching out to brethren, or even just coming to church. Just as Jesus says in Matthew 6, let us not do these things with the same heart as the hypocrites who receive their desired recognition and glory from men, but not God’s reward. Instead, when we do these things to the Father who is in the secret place, and truly humble ourselves before Him with a sincere and obedient heart towards His words, our Father who sees in secret will reward us openly. It is easy to get accustomed to doing things out of habit, including things related to our faith. Therefore it is all the more important for us to constantly reflect on our purpose, and ensure that God is truly at the centre of all that we do. May our hearts always be well-pleasing to God so that our actions that follow are also accepted by Him. (Extra!) Read this Manna article to find out more about the purpose and right attitude towards fasting: What You Need To Know About Fasting (Manna 5) https://ia.tjc.org/elibrary/ContentDetail.aspx?ItemID=12690&langid=1

Prophet Haggai was sent to rekindle the zeal of God’s people, with his central message being God’s warning to them, and by extension us, to “consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5). Haggai 1 offers us 2 examples that we can use to consider our ways. The people of Israel were not always in a state of spiritual stagnation, in fact they were initially filled with zeal to do God’s work. When they first started rebuilding the temple, there were great shouts of joy and praise (Ezra 3:10-13), however the people soon got discouraged as opposition emerged, and they eventually stopped the rebuilding (Ezra 4:24). Meanwhile, they turned their focus onto their own livelihoods and comfort while the house of God lay in ruins. Despite working hard for their physical lives, the labour of their hands was futile, and they seemed to always be lacking (Haggai 1:6, 10-11). God revealed that the lack in their lives did not come from their method of working, but rather their relationship with Him that they neglected, causing Him to obstruct them from prospering. Today, we are the spiritual temples of God (1 Cor 3:16). While we may face ups and downs in our lives of faith, let us also reflect if we have neglected our spiritual temple and left it in ruins? When the people stopped the temple rebuilding, they may not have expected that what was meant to be a temporary pause would extend into a 14-year hiatus. Similarly, our faith may grow cold gradually, and perhaps even go unnoticed until we are far from God. Therefore, the Bible warns us to watch and pray always, that we may be counted worthy to stand before God. (Luke 21:36) Haggai 1 introduces us to the 2 main leaders: Joshua and Zerubbabel. As the High Priest, Joshua was to lead God’s people in the matters of their faith, while Zerubabbel was the governor leading the administrative state affairs. Being the leaders, they were partially responsible for the long pause in the temple rebuilding. If we were them, would we be able to accept the rebuke from Haggai? The Bible has many examples of people in positions of authority who were unable to accept correction. For example King Saul who made an unlawful sacrifice and pushed the blame to prophet Samuel (1 Sam 13:11-12), and King Ahab who accused prophet Elijah as the “troubler of Israel” though the lack of rain they faced was the outcome of his own sins (1 Kings 18:17). Unlike these kings, in response to God’s rebukes for leaving the work incomplete, Joshua and Zerubbabel simply “obeyed the voice of the Lord their God” (Haggai 1:12). And the result of their obedience was God’s abidance. God stirred up their spirits, strengthening them to complete the work. (Haggai 1:13-14) Let us learn from Joshua and Zerubbabel’s humility, for God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6), and abides with those who are obedient. Just as God warned the people to consider their ways, let us also take heed to this warning. May the Holy Spirit work in us to keep us sensitive to the state of our spiritual lives and to sin, that we may be humble and obedient to the voice of God, so that He would also be with us always.

These 2 facts could change the way we choose to live.