Keep On and Do Not Grow Weary

“For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” (Zech. 4:10 ESV)

Are you in a season of rebuilding?

Maybe you can identify with one of these scenarios:

• You finally did it! You quit your 9-to-5 job to pursue your dreams. But your new enterprise hasn’t quite taken off yet, and you’re disheartened.
• Or maybe after a season of unemployment, you finally have a job. At first, you were shouting God’s praises. But getting accustomed to a new job is stressful. Worship is turning into whining.
• Perhaps you were single for a long time, but now you’re married. You thought you’d live happily ever after, but the honeymoon is over, and you’re finding it takes hard work to make a relationship successful.
• It could be you were overflowing with gratitude because you survived an accident or a serious illness. But now you find yourself in a season of recovery. Rehab is strenuous, and you realize you may never regain 100 percent of your former strength.
• Like some, you might be going through the grueling process of rebuilding your home after a fire, flood, or other disaster. You’re running into one obstacle after another, and the end is nowhere in sight.

If you feel weak, discouraged, or defeated, the Bible offers encouragement in—of all places—the books of Haggai and Zechariah, two of the Minor Prophets. We might tend to avoid the Minor Prophets the way we avoid difficult people. Don’t make eye contact. Cross over to the other side of the street, and whatever you do, don’t engage in conversation because you’ll end up confused.

But when we understand the context of Haggai’s and Zechariah’s prophesies, we’ll see that we have a lot in common with their Old Testament audience.

In 536 BC, a remnant of God’s people returned from exile in Babylon and began rebuilding the temple.

When these Jews returned from exile, they returned to a desolate land. Seventy percent of the population was gone. The infrastructure had been destroyed, and the people were struggling just to survive. How could they even begin to muster the energy to work on the temple?

Many of the older Jews became discouraged when they realized that this newly rebuilt temple would not be as grand as Solomon’s original temple.

Progress on the temple construction soon slowed down. Around 520 BC, God spoke through both Zechariah and Haggai. God had a message for Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah; for Joshua, the high priest; and for the disheartened people.

This is what Haggai announced:

“‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.’” (Hag. 2:3-5 ESV)

Be strong.

Work, for I am with you.

Fear not.

“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.’” (Hag. 2:6-9 ESV)

Isn’t that a great picture? God is shaking the heavens and the earth, and gold, silver, and other treasures come spilling out to fill his house.

Doesn’t God own everything? Isn’t he able to provide everything we need?

In a little while, everything’s going to be glorious—even better than it was before.

Zechariah also had a message to the naysayers who didn’t think the new temple was going to measure up:

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts . . . For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth’” (Zech. 4:6, 10 ESV).

Don’t despise the small things—the tiny beginnings, the baby steps, the little blessings, the small victories. A project may seem overwhelming. The difficulties may seem insurmountable. But God is watching, and he can supply the strength and resources needed to produce a glorious result.

When you’ve used up your last ounce of energy, when you can’t squeeze out another drop of effort, God’s Spirit will empower you to keep on keeping on.

What has God called you to build? A career, a house, a church? Are you raising up disciples (adult or pint-sized)? Are you working to restore your health? Are you beginning a new enterprise or entering a new season of life?

Rejoice in every bit of progress you’re making. Keep on trying. Keep on relying on the Holy Spirit. Keep on glorifying the Lord in your accomplishments, both big and small.

“And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” (Gal. 6:9 ESV)

Margaret Kemp spends most days teaching a classroom full of lively five-and six- year-olds. She’s attracted to be fragrance of vanilla, the printed word, and all things blue and white. She delights in spending time with her husband and family, singing praises with her church choir peeps, and traveling. Her heart’s desire is to know God better and learn to trust Him more.

Photograph © Dakota Roos, used with permission