Days Upon Days

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

Zechariah 4:8-10

After years of living in exile, Zechariah and the children of Israel longed to see the Temple of God rebuilt and returned to its original glory. They desired to see their dream fulfilled, but the going was slow, and discouragement was a close companion. We’ve known that same discouragement when some future thing seems out of reach, and maybe it is, for now.

But time keeps marching on, and one day, you’ll be living smack dab in the middle of the reality of that thing you once dreamed about or heard God promise—promises like peace on earth or “thy kingdom come.”

You might have to pinch yourself because you didn’t really think it could ever happen. Even though you saved or studied or sacrificed or spoke soft words of encouragement to yourself through the tight weave of the grosgrain of your ordinary days, you might not have been fully convinced.

But God’s promises are taking root, in the midst of your ordinary life. While the bills are coming in and the children are sick and the roof is leaking and the dog keeps throwing up on the throw rugs and you’re still draping your leg over his in the dark. God’s promises are coming true.

Mostly, like rebuilding a temple, things change incrementally. We barely notice, until we have to buy new shoes for our toddlers or cut back a branch on a tree or decide to go ahead and let the gray take over. But it’s happening. Bit by bit, in the midst of all the ordinary that we might be tempted to wish away—on the days when a child’s pose is what we feel like doing more than anything—the temple is being built, and we are moving in the direction of God’s promises for us.

Peace on earth. Thy Kingdom come. We are not so far from your shores. Can you hear our heartbeat? Can you sense us drawing near? We have not lost sight, even in the midst of our ordinary days—especially in the midst of these days upon days.

QUESTION TO CONSIDER:

Do you truly believe God’s promises to you?

PRAYER:

I get distracted by time and how things often seem to take so long to happen and seem to start so small. But things are happening right now—in the small beauty of ordinary days. Please don’t let me miss the blessing of right here, right now. Amen.

Explore more at the Theology of Work Project online commentary: Faithful Work After the Exile—Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi