“Better late than never”...as that old saying goes. And how many areas in our lives can that thought be applied to, although most would advise we not wait to that point in time to ‘get on board’. You think the thief on the cross who turned to Jesus in his last dying breaths might have something to say about that?

This past week, I began a series of messages that focused on how God advises us on the best way of seeing that things go well in life for not only ourselves, but also for our children, and their children, etc. – ‘Fear God and do what He says’; pretty simple and sound advice... if you ask me. (Deut. 5:29). Whey even Solomon, the ‘wisest man’ in the whole world chimed in with the same counsel (Ecc. 12:13). It’s just that some of us take longer to ‘see it’ and for that ‘lightbulb’ to come on as we begin to ‘walk in the light as He is in the light’ (1 John 1:7). And if you too, are a bit ‘late to the party’...you are not alone; so why not consider joining in now since that’s pretty much the cry of the Spirit (Matt. 25:6) in these days we are living. And all you need to do is be...willing...to come to Him. (John 5:14; Matt. 23:37)

So about that incredible promise that God makes to the people who after a 12-18 year hiatus...have been inspired to pick up their tools again and get back to working on the temple restoration project that we have been looking at in Ezra and Haggai. As previously mentioned, this ‘remnant’ of exiles who left Babylon where they had been captive for 70 years have returned to begin a restoration project on the temple that had been destroyed in the invasion 70 years earlier.

It was the hand of God’s wrath and judgement that brought about all the destruction and heartache, needless as it was...had the people just cooperated with Him. But I should also point out here that the reason God even brings His judgments...is with the final hopes that we will be ‘humbled’ and broken and ready to repent so that we might do things His way...which is and will always be...the ‘best way’. Hence my use of the expression: ‘better late than never’. Whether you call it 'judgments, wrath, or chastisement',  God brings/allows it not to destroy us, but to humble us and bring us to repentance...'so that our spirits might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus' (1 Cor. 5:5; Heb.12:5-12; Luke 13:1-5; 2 Pet. 3:9; John 3:18).

So we’ve been studying how both young and old alike were working side by side to rebuild... that which had fallen. Whether you are a 20-year old convert (new believer) or an aging ‘saint’ who has taken those multiple ‘painful, scenic detours’ along this faith journey of yours, one thing we can probably all agree on: it can be challenging to see what God’s ‘end game’ vision is for our lives. I mean...we know...God has a ‘hope and a future for us to do good’ as that familiar verse we all like to quote states (Jer. 29:11)...but the part we miss there in that passage involves us seeking after and coming to Him with...’all our heart’ (12-13). And that...is what the hang up is for many of us. All. Our. Heart. And trust me on this, He will test that heart of ours to see how serious we are (Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4)

We learned in Ezra how in the early days of their coming home to rebuild...that there were indeed some high moments of jubilation as we saw in Ezra 3:10-13. And we are also reminded in the following chapter that there always seems to be an ‘adversary’ ready to ‘come immediately’ and to frustrate and discourage us when God is in the middle of doing something special in our lives. (Ezra 4:1-4; Mark 4:15). This is probably the reason Paul spends so much time instructing us to ‘take up our armor’ and to ‘give no place to the enemy’ as we ‘bring every thought in to the obedience of Christ’. Which now takes us to Haggai 2:1-3. God prompts Haggai to go and speak once again to the leaders and the remnant of people who are working on the temple.

Have you ever wondered if God has been ‘reading your mail’ as evident from a ‘word’ you receive or read somewhere that speaks to what is going on in the darkest recesses of your mind/heart? Yeah...I think we all know what that is like, and Haggai shows up and begins with a question: Who here is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory?” (2:3). He’s clearly speaking to the ‘older’ folks now who can recall those ‘good ole days’, prior to the invasion of the Babylonians. Take a moment and let that vs. 3 marinate in your spirit and consider what is being asked here; because it’s a question that we all have pondered at one time or another; and it goes something like this: “What if I had known back then...what I know today?” It’s a painful trail to go down, because as I reminded us the other day, we just don’t get ‘do overs’ in this life; as in we only get one shot at it.

Now that’s not to say that many haven’t found ‘second chances’, whether it was a second marriage, a new business after filing bankruptcy, starting to build a new home after losing everything in a flood or fire, etc. You fill in the scenario that best fits your situation. You don’t need me to tell you those second chances usually come with multiple challenges ...and I am guessing many of those challenges are ‘mental’. You know what I’m talking about. It’s all those ‘voices’ that talk to you, trying to convince you how pointless it all is to ‘start over’. You’ve messed things up royally, and your life will never, ever...be as good as it ‘could have been’...if you had just ‘not done this or that’. Yeah...that’s pretty much what those dark thoughts were that the older crowd must have been entertaining, which is why God sent Haggai back for another ‘mini sermon’. “I know what you all are thinking as you get back to the grind of rebuilding. You are remembering those ‘good old days’ and how this first temple looked like...and you are convinced there is no way things will ever even come close...to being as good as it once was...(in this lifetime, at least).”

But God...

And then comes the promise, which I’m going to ask you to read on your own from your Bible, and please grab a Kleenex or two as you read through Haggai 2:4-9. (take your time with it and read over a time or two....

[long pause...]

There must have been good reason why Paul exhorts us to ‘forget those things behind...and press on to the mark of the high calling found in Jesus’ (Phil. 3:12-14).

This is where God shines best; and I kind of think He likes to ‘show out’...when it comes to picking up the broken pieces of our lives, the good , the bad, and the ugly’...and then does something with them that you could have never seen coming. I mean, talk about not ‘having it on your ‘Bingo card’ or ‘radar’. Then Boom...in the darkest moment of your life, the ‘Light of the world’ comes in and restores your vision and nearly brags about how He can do ‘exceedingly and abundantly above anything you could have asked or imagined’ (Eph. 3:20)

Yeah...He really is that kind of God; always has been...always will be.  Meet me back here tomorrow, for more?