Haggai 2:7--9 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty. The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty. 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. --NIV
In the name of the One Who grants peace in the temple courts, amen.
Imagine that you are a member of a congregation with a large, beautiful church. Imagine too, that your church had been destroyed and now you were rebuilding it, but you don't have the resources to build it like it was. It would be more than a little disappointing each Sunday as you went to church, to worship in a place that was very plain compared to what you had.
This is what the Jews faced when they returned from exile and rebuilt the temple. But to add to the disappointment, they also knew that the original temple had been destroyed because they were disobedient to God. We too lose great and wondrous things when we are disobedient to God. When we do not serve God above all else, our prayers and blessings are hindered. When we do not honor our father and mother, we make mistakes that haunt us for the rest of our lives. When we lust after someone of the opposite sex--even before marriage, the thoughts interfere with the most intimate moments we have with our spouses. Sometimes these things end up in the destruction of a relationship. By God's grace the relationship can often be rebuilt, but its pure glory will be gone. There will always be cracks that show.
Such is the life we make for ourselves. We have no one but ourselves to blame. But when the Jews were disappointed with the rebuilt temple, the Lord told them to cheer up. He was in control. All things belong to Him. He would bring glory to the rebuilt temple that the first temple never had. Christ Himself would be in that temple, and He would be its glory. He would bring peace in its courts by reconciling man with God. In Advent we look at the broken pieces of our lives and prepare for Christ to come. As you prepare and you see that things in your life have been destroyed, when the relationships are patched up but still hurting, remember that God is still in control. Ask Him to fill your life with His glory. Ask Him to bring peace and work great wonders even in your broken life. He is eager to glorify His name in your life. He alone can make your life better than it ever has been. Amen.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, You gave us life and told us how be happy. But we ruined our happiness by not obeying You. Please fill our imperfect lives with You glory and peace, amen.