1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, 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. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ 6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” (Haggai 2:1 – 9, New International Version)
Theme: The Wisdom of Discipline
Title: Discipline and Discouragement
Reflection:
Sometimes, despite our disciplined best efforts the outcome appears to be disappointing. How do we deal with the inevitable sense of discouragement? Our Scripture passage today provides an uplifting perspective on this topic.
In the book of Haggai, the Israelites returned from exile to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. After about a month of work it was clear that the new temple was inferior to the original temple (“Does it not seem to you like nothing?”). This certainly was discouraging to the workers. In response, God provides some encouraging words through the prophet Haggai, including the following:
- Be strong.
- I am with you.
- Do not fear.
- The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house.
God made these declarations consistent with His covenant with the Children of Israel, and He reminds them that He has all the resources they need.
Conclusion:
When we can’t see positive outcomes despite our disciplined efforts, it is easy to be discouraged. However, we can rest assure that when our activities are aligned with God’s priorities a glorious outcome is guaranteed. When you don’t see the results from your disciplined efforts, how do you counter discouragement? I would love to hear from you.
Contributor: Norman Christie
April 2, 2025 at 6:54 am
I have challenged myself to consider the reality that there are no other better options than God so my only option is to continue hoping and wait for Him.
April 2, 2025 at 7:29 am
Depending on the type of failure I counter discouragement with a day or two resting from the topic or activity. I give myself room to breathe and pick a new start date to try again.
Sometimes I just need time to reflect on what went right and wrong and restart. I have learned to give myself grace.
April 2, 2025 at 8:00 am
I counter the discouragement by no other way but to PRAY. I’ve already experienced in the past to humble myself, kneel and ask the Lord to help me or remove all the negative feelings, the hurt or whatever unpleasant feelings/ situations I have. It helps to cry out to the Lord, to open my heart and just tell Him everything. I may not get the answer to my prayer right away, but knowing deep within me that the Lord is listening and He understands me is enough for me to keep on going. I also tell myself that “ this too shall pass” and when that happens and I look back and reflect on how the Lord had helped me, I could only Praise Him and be grateful for His Mercy and Grace.
Psalms 30:5. “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. “ (NIV)
2 Corinthians 4:17 “ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (NIV)
April 2, 2025 at 11:17 am
When I don’t see the results of my efforts, I remind myself that as long as I am in His will, God in His time, will reward me with the results He deems appropriate. I am content with that. Just a couple of days ago a thought popped in my mind that could have brought me to feeling down. In a moment I had a smile on my face, and I heard myself say, “I know you’ve got me.” I honestly felt just fine after that.
We just need to trust and wait.
April 2, 2025 at 9:28 pm
Galatians 6:9 tells us “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” This scripture encourages me to stay the course when I feel discouraged and that my labors will bear fruit. I like to look back at how God has delivered me out of troubles and how he has granted me success when I thought all was lost or that it was impossible. Reflecting on past experiences helps me see that ” this too shall pass” and that God is with me.
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