Day 264, or September the 21st. Trust God now,
and get on with it. Our thoughts today are from
Haggai, chapter 2, verse 4. But now be strong,
Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, Joshua,
son of Josedach the high priest. Be strong, all
you people of the land, declares the Lord, and
work, for I am with you. declares the Lord Almighty.
And now the big picture surrounding this verse. Haggai
is one of the prophets who works with the leaders
and people who return to the promised land. Their
priorities are spot on. Rebuild the temple first.
It's a struggle, and Haggai has to warn them
to stop working on their own houses and get on
with God's house. He constantly challenges them
to think things through. He doesn't demand blind
obedience, but thoughtful cooperation and joint
effort in this vital project. Sadly, the temple
turns out to be a poor imitation of Solomon's
temple. It took Solomon seven years to build
the first one, but it took more than twice that
time to rebuild it. And now, our action step
for today. The task of rebuilding the temple
after returning from exile in Babylonia is a
massive one. It is entrusted to a band of select
people, but they are not left to do it alone.
God promises he will be with them. The Bible
says, trust God first, then work in his strength.
Too often, we do the work in order to get things
done, hoping that God will strengthen us as we
labour in his work. It's the wrong way around.
Notice also that they are urged by God to be
strong now, not later, but now. All of us who
are believers have something that God wants us
to do, but make sure you get the order right.
Trust Him first and be strong. Then do the work,
knowing that God will be with you to honour your
efforts for Him. Don't mix up trusting God and
having confidence, because confidence is usually
rooted in self, not God. I believe it's good
to be nervous when you're about God's work. It
helps you trust Him more. Start at the beginning
and trust Him now for whatever He has planned
for you. Then, just do it.