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- Oct 26, 2007
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Yet now be strong, alert, and courageous, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; be strong, alert, and courageous, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, alert, and courageous, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:4 AMPC
God sent Haggai to His people at a critical moment in their history. After the return from exile, the task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls and temple was proving daunting. The challenges were both physical and spiritual, and Haggai showed up to encourage them that God was with them.
In Haggai 2:9, God said that while this new temple didn’t have the splendor of Solomon’s temple, the “future glory of this Temple [would] be greater than its past glory….And in this place I will bring peace.” If they were bold and courageous, they would finish the work, providing an example of hope that will be ultimately fulfilled when Jesus returns and rules the earth from Jerusalem.
Many of the prophecies Jesus fulfilled when He came include a further promise of His second coming, when He will restore the earth to God’s original plan of peace, glory, and communion with Him. Christmas shows us that God will do what He promises, on scales both immediate and long-term. Our part is to trust and obey Him, and He will manage the outcomes, which will be far greater than we can even imagine.
Prayer: God, strengthen me with the hope of Christ, as I celebrate His coming and await His return.
God sent Haggai to His people at a critical moment in their history. After the return from exile, the task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls and temple was proving daunting. The challenges were both physical and spiritual, and Haggai showed up to encourage them that God was with them.
In Haggai 2:9, God said that while this new temple didn’t have the splendor of Solomon’s temple, the “future glory of this Temple [would] be greater than its past glory….And in this place I will bring peace.” If they were bold and courageous, they would finish the work, providing an example of hope that will be ultimately fulfilled when Jesus returns and rules the earth from Jerusalem.
Many of the prophecies Jesus fulfilled when He came include a further promise of His second coming, when He will restore the earth to God’s original plan of peace, glory, and communion with Him. Christmas shows us that God will do what He promises, on scales both immediate and long-term. Our part is to trust and obey Him, and He will manage the outcomes, which will be far greater than we can even imagine.
Prayer: God, strengthen me with the hope of Christ, as I celebrate His coming and await His return.
