Better Days

6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts. (Haggai 2:6-9)

The temple had been destroyed, the people who had been exiled - and their descendants - were returning to a land very different than they remembered, and the rebuilding process was slow. Some of the people complained that the new temple would not be as splendid as the original. Some felt they could not bear all the change they were facing. To these disappointed, brokenhearted, people God spoke this word of encouragement through the prophet, Haggai.

We are often temped to look at the past with rose-colored glasses while the present only looks like hard work and the future is unfathomable. To us, God also speaks this word of hope. God, who holds past, present and future, is more than qualified to dispel our mediocre expectations with the truth of God's glory and power.

We can choose to wallow in the shadows of the past or we can trust God's sovereignty to keep us and be the light guiding us into a bright future.

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,