Thursday Reflection September 9, 2021

Thursday Reflection September 9, 2021

Focus on today’s task

Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:4

Greeting friends,

Our text today cause us to push forward and not become daunted; not to compare the glories of the past to the work that needs to be done now. This was the situation regarding the people in Haggai 2. The Lord had challenged them in chapter 1 to rebuild the temple and not just focus on rebuilding and living in fancy houses.
In chapter 2 they began the work, but three weeks into rebuilding the temple they became discouraged. The people in their 70’s could remember Solomon’s temple that had been destroyed 66 years earlier. Whilst rebuilding the temple it has now become clear to them that the rebuilt temple is going to be far inferior to the temple they once knew. The people rebuilding the temple were comparing what they were doing now to what was done in the past and that affected the work to be done now.
How often do we do this? How often do we compare now with the glory days and focus on the glory days? How often we focus on the glory days of the boys brigade and girls brigade and compare it to now? How often do we focus on the glory days when most congregations we filled with people and compare it to now? How often do we look at Missionary services, especially in the rural parishes and think they were so fantastic and compare them to now? How often do we use the same tactics of 30/40 years ago that brought success then and want to implement them now expecting them to work. How often do we focus on the glory days and when the glory days are not recreated we become discouraged and the work of God is not done?

Hear the Lord in the text, “Yet now” God is drawing our attention to what needs to be done now and not the glory days of Solomon’s temple. The temple now will be smaller and less beautiful, but this is the temple that God wants to build now. The people were looking back at what was, but God now calls them to look forward to the present. He calls them to move forward with these three commands: Be strong, work and fear not

To do the work today we have to be strong. It’s easy to become weak and discouraged that today’s work doesn’t look like yesterday’s work, but be strong, as we know our strength comes from the Lord.

Not only should we be strong but we must work. Today’s temple cannot be built if we do not work. The work will be hard and it will be less people working. The returning remnant did not have the physical resources of Solomon, but they still had God, which is the only resource you truly need. Today, God is the true resource to rebuild. Let’s stop try recreate the past and build what God wants us to build today.

Lastly, fear not. Its easy to become afraid during the unknown and when you have less support, but fear not. Do not be afraid. Just walk in the promises of God and focus on today’s task. This is a choice we have to make, fear not!

God bless you as we work together in the vineyard.

Shalom
Christopher Euphfa