For Kids · 4 min with a grown-up
God's people had been far from home for a long time. Now they were back — but they had forgotten to finish something important.
Today's Story
God's people had finally come home. For years they had lived far away, and now they were back in their own land. Hooray!
But something was missing. God's house — the special place where the people met with Him — was still broken down. A pile of stones. Nobody was building it.
The people were busy. They built nice houses for themselves. They planted gardens. They worked hard, day after day. But God's house just sat there, waiting.
So God sent a man named Haggai with a message. “Think carefully about what you're doing,” Haggai said. “You plant a lot, but you bring home a little. You eat, but you're still hungry. Why? Because you're fixing up your own houses while My house lies in pieces.”
God wasn't being mean. He was helping them see what mattered most. “Go up the hill,” He said. “Bring wood. Build My house. It will make Me glad.”
And here is the best part. The people listened. The leader Zerubbabel listened. The priest Joshua listened. All the people listened. And God said five wonderful words to them: “I am with you.”
So they picked up their tools and got to work on God's house. Together.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- When you wake up in the morning, what do you usually do first? What does that tell you about what you love?
- The people were busy with good things — houses and gardens — but they forgot the most important thing. What good things sometimes make us too busy for God?
- God told the people, “I am with you.” Where do you need to remember that God is with you this week?