Haggai 2:1-9 ~ A Lesson on Patience

In today's world where "quick, fast and instant" becomes a "good" virtue, what then happens to the virtue of patience? Is that virtue lost? If so, we also lose the virtue of Christian discipline that comes with "long suffering".

How then does this come into context with Haggai? The first lesson here is to not compare. As Ezra 3:10-13 pointed out, the elders who saw the glory of the former temple compared it with the foundation that was being built, leading them to disappointment and despair. Being impatient, they resorted to other "instant" constructions such as the paneled houses mentioned in Haggai 1. Now that they were continuing to construct the temple, God feared that they may start comparing again and experience the fright of failure. As such, God told them that it mattered not in His eyes but encouraged them to continue to "work, for I am with you" (verse 4).

God had to keep reminding them by emphasizing that it is Him who made all the promises. The natural disasters and global financial crisis we face today is nothing when God shakes the world on judgment day. God's people are instructed to then be patient and to keep trusting Him. He will fulfil His promises that "yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens" (Hebrews 12:26) - as it is not yet the time, it is alright for us to keep going with enduring patience...

The lesson for us is then to start small yet finish great, and in order to do so, we need to ask ourselves these questions: Will we wait? Will we work as we wait?

Will you wait patiently just as the Lord is patient?