https://odb.org/2026/02/03/focus-on-god
Haggai 2:1–9 (NIV): on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘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? 4 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. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ 6 “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty. 9 ‘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.”
When they’d laid the foundation, “many . . . who had seen the former temple, wept aloud” (Ezra 3:12). The memory of Solomon’s glorious temple lingered again now, as construction of a smaller structure resumed. Ours isn’t as good, everyone, including Zerubbabel, must’ve thought. “But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” God said, as He did to all involved: “I am with you . . . my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear” (Haggai 2:4-5). Zerubbabel could take heart in God’s guiding presence, bound by His covenant with them (v. 5). Also, “The glory of this present house will be greater,” God said (v. 9), pointing to when Jesus Himself would visit the temple (John 2:13-25).
We may feel discouraged in a task God calls us to do, comparing our results with those of another season. Let’s focus on His plan for this season, because the work and its purpose are His, not our own. (Karen Huang, Our Daily Bread 3rd February 2026)
I think it’s very important that we do not look to our past glories especially when it comes to fulfilling God’s plans for us in the present. Even in the natural, the past has its own challenges and context. We might not have done so well last time. That doesn’t mean we will be disappointing again. Likewise, we may have done very well 20 years ago, it doesn’t mean we will repeat our success and scale higher heights. Singers and performers have this issue as they try to relive their past successes in the present. Even an artiste like Paul McCartney of Beatles fame, arguably one of the most successful singer songwriters of all time, was unable to recreate the magic of the Beatles when he went solo with his own band. What more Sir Paul trying to break the charts in the present day?
When it comes to God, however, it is always about the present and the future. He forgives us our past sins but remembers and appreciates our past deeds. He is however focussed on what He wants to achieve through us in the present and the future. His plans and purposes changes with the season. He may even have a different calling for us for this season. He is constantly doing something new in our midst.
That is why churches that live in the past will struggle to thrive in the present. God’s love and faithfulness may be unchanging from generation to generation but His work moves with the times. This is totally biblical. God first chose Israel to be His people and nation but He didn’t confine His love to them forever. Through Jesus, He moved on to the Gentiles. If He had stuck with the Jews alone, His salvation would have been severely restricted as the Jews rejected Him and are still living today in the Old Mosaic Covenant and we know that justification by law is impossible.
That is also why ministry work never ceases. Even as churches retire their pastors and full-time workers at certain ages (mostly 60 or 65), the work goes on. The boots are always on the ground until our dying day. Everyone who is in ministry, whether lay or of the cloth, never retire. We serve until we are called to return by our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, always be on the lookout as to what is the new thing God is doing in our midst? What is His plan for this season of our lives? It doesn’t matter whether we are 20 or 80. God is doing something new in our lives. What is His calling for us for this season?
Ronnie's Thoughts 