Friday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
“Greater will be the future glory of this house than the former, says the Lord of hosts.”
When was the last time you felt discouraged at work, unable to see the fruit of your labor? You prayed for just a little growth—only to see a meager harvest appear, despite your careful sowing and faithful tending. You remained hopeful, believed, prayed, and yet…the results fell short of your expectations.
Perhaps the Judahites in this passage from Haggai felt the same about the temple they were rebuilding. “This is too hard,” they may have lamented. Or, “This Second Temple will never look anything like the First, in the days of Solomon, in all its glory and splendor.” Some may even have said, “Things aren’t what they used to be. How could this new temple ever match the magnificence of the original?”
Circumstances had certainly changed. After seventy years in Babylon, a new generation was now living in Judah, unfamiliar with the land except for stories passed down from their parents and grandparents. The people, the political structures, the entire landscape of life were different.
But God had not changed. He urged the leaders to “take courage,” reminded them of His covenant, and assured them of His abiding presence: “Do not fear…my Spirit continues in your midst.”
God saw the new temple as a house “filled with glory,” promising that its future splendor would surpass the First. He knew it, and He would bring it about. His people only needed to resist discouragement with faith and courage.
The paths of our projects, struggles, and even our daily lives don’t always match our hopes. When discouragement whispers, remember: the outcome rests in God’s hands. Circumstances shift, people change, but God remains the same— “yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13:8).
So let us reach out in spirit, soul, and mind to our everlasting Rock, who holds every outcome. Lord, help us believe that whatever we are “building” will rise into a glory greater than we could ever imagine.
—Rachael Griggs