The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2: 9 (ESV) 

At the end of the first chapter of Haggai, God’s people had started rebuilding the Temple after returning to Jerusalem from captivity. They had (finally) obeyed God, gathered resources, and started work on the foundation.

Less than a month later, the work comes grinding to a halt. Why? Because they are discouraged. All they can think about is how glorious the previous Temple was before it was destroyed. Surely what they are working on will never match the majestic gold structure that once stood in the place where now only a few stones lay.

Encouragement is given the Jews to go on in the work notwithstanding. They have God with them, his Spirit and his special presence. Though he chastens their transgressions, his faithfulness does not fail. The Spirit still remained among them. And they shall have the Messiah among them shortly; He that should come. 

BIBLE HUB

Have you ever had a moment of despair like that? A feeling that your effort is futile? Have you met someone whose knowledge about the Bible or unshakeable faith has left you feeling less than? Have you heard stories of heroic sacrifice—like missionaries in war-torn countries or people founding orphanages in impossibly hard circumstances—and felt like you could never match up? Like you could never be that good?

God has a message for you in moments like that. It’s repeated to the Jewish people fourteen times in the Book of Haggai. It’s repeated throughout Scripture—to Moses at the burning bush, to Joshua as he takes over leadership of Israel, to Mary as she’s called to be the mother of Jesus.

God says to them and to us, “I am with you.”Almighty God, who knows and controls all things, is with us. Even though we’ve disobeyed. Even though what we have to offer seems so small. Even though other people, churches, and points in history seem more majestic than us, right here, right now.

God is with us. He has an eternal view of things. He knows precisely how our roles—no matter how small—fit into the magnificent work He is doing here on earth. He knows the glorious future, so He reminds us to check our perspective. To follow His lead and trust His wisdom. To do our work and believe that He will take what we offer and make it glorious—more glorious than anything that has been built before.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~Leo Buscaglia