In answer to the question ‘Why bother?’

Yesterday, we saw how ‘Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai’.

And what happens next?

This. Always this.

Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.  Haggai 1:13-14

When God’s people show up and choose to engage with Him in His work on earth, God promises to be right in there with them. He works inside each person to inspire them with whatever they need to complete the task. He stirs up their spirits – what a great image!

And what Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the people need is strength. Strength of character and resolve. It would be easy to be disheartened as they look around them at the rubble of God’s temple. Rebuilding it is such a massive job – taking vision and creativity and resources and physical strength that have been knocked out of them during their time in exile. They’re battered, weak, less sure of their tradition and God and all that they stood for in the past.

Why rebuild the temple when it could be destroyed so quickly as it was before?

God knows how demoralising it is to survey the ruins.

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?  Haggai 2:3

That’s why God urges them to dig deep and be strong.

‘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. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’  Haggai 2:4-5

Be strong.

Be strong and get on with the work.

Be strong for I am with you.

Be strong for I have always been with you.

Be strong because I have never let you down.

Be strong and do not fear.

This speaks into my life right now. Each year at this time, right before the start of the new school year, I resolve that things will be different this year. I will be a better version of myself. I will keep my home in a better state. I will work with my kids to help them be all that they can be. And then the cynical voice in my head – and the cynical voice outside my head that is my 21 year old son! – whispers into my ear ‘Why are you bothering? Just look around you. How many times have you started to build for it just to come crashing down round your ears? Who are you trying to kid? What makes you think it’s going to be any different this time?’

It would be easy to give up on these good intentions and aspirations before I even start. To resign myself that things will always be this way. To pull the covers over my head and admit defeat. I’m tired. I’m struggling with disillusion and dissatisfaction. From where I’m standing, it all feels too hard.

Two days to go until the kids go back to school and my son is already consumed with anxiety: feeling sick, unable to sleep, his fears of vomiting and spiders and anything else becoming magnified. I have to find the resources to help him, even though my own anxiety is threatening to overwhelm me.

And yet I do not want to settle for less. God is causing my spirit to stir within me. He is the one who gives me the vision for how life could be and he gives me the resolve and determination to fight for it. He is always with me, i know that.

He is saying the same to me and you as He said to His people long ago.

Be strong.

Be strong and get on with the work.

Be strong for I am with you.

Be strong for I have always been with you.

Be strong because I have never let you down.

Be strong and do not fear.

My strong may not look very strong to you. It may not be as strong as I would have hoped. I have no doubt that I’m never going to achieve all that I hope to achieve.

But that isn’t going to stop me trying.

I’m going to get on with the work I have been given to do.

That is all anyone of us can do.