Haggai 1:12-14 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, 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 feared the LORD. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’s message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” 14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
When the shofar first sounded on the 1st of Elul in Haggai’s day, the call was clear: “Rebuild My house.” The people obeyed, and the work of restoring the Temple began. But in the New Covenant, the temple of God is no longer built of stone alone — it is within you. Paul declares, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that His Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Peter echoes this truth when he says we are “living stones being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The presence of God now dwells in the hearts and lives of His people.
And so the call of Elul comes to us in a deeply personal way. The question is not only, “Will you rebuild God’s house?” but, “Will you allow Him to rebuild you?” Are there broken walls of devotion that need repairing? Are there altars of prayer and worship that lie neglected? Are there compromises or distractions that have taken priority over His presence?
Elul is the month to rebuild. The shofar is sounding, summoning you to return to first love, to sweep clean the temple courts of your life, and to prepare a dwelling place for the King of Glory. The King is in the field — He is walking among His people, looking for a house fit for His presence.
Beloved, the Spirit of God is calling with urgency: You are His temple. Open the doors wide. Tear down the partitions. Let His fire cleanse, His Spirit fill, and His glory consume every part of your life. Do not delay. The Bridegroom is coming. The shofar is sounding. Let His temple — your heart, your life — be made ready for His presence!