In faithful obedience, the Israelites had begun forward movement in rebuilding the temple. They had sown the last seeds of their crop. They had completed the site-work and foundation. But the Israelites had not yet experienced God’s blessings. They were in a middle ground where they were vulnerable and empty. Then God tells the people to mark the day and rest in the promise that “from this day on, I will bless you” (Haggai 2.19).
God was telling his people to anticipate a season of blessing because of their movement.
God was not promising his blessing because the project was complete. He was promising his blessing because the project was started. The video clip below from the weekend’s message reminds us of this truth. God was blessing their movement even though they’d not finished the Temple.
This is true for us as well. God blesses our forward movement. He wants us to take intentional step after intentional step and will meet us as we seek to honor him. Admittedly, the work can become discouraging because big challenges are not resolved overnight. Marriages are not restored in a weekend. Wayward children do not turn back overnight. Impure habits are not conquered in a day.
But don’t get discouraged! When you feel like giving up (maybe because progress is slower than you imagined) remember God is pleased with your forward movement and meets you as you go. Take a moment to identify areas where you are becoming weary and are tempted to give up. Pray and ask God to give you renewed strength and trust to continue moving forward.
