A Living Legacy

Laura Digan November 06, 2022 0 5

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Haggai 1:15b - 2:9 (NRSVA)

(1) 15b In the second year of King Darius, (2) 1 in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4 Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendour, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

This summer my neighbours re-landscaped their front garden. Bushes and plants were uprooted and moved, the ground was broken and shaken and a well-worn pathway was dismantled and re-positioned. Some elements of the garden were re-purposed while the plants that were dead or no longer needed were composted. 

Just now we are going through a series of seasons globally, nationally and spiritually where it feels like all we have known is being shaken. So much within our global, national and spiritual lives is being dismantled. The Church of Scotland where I am a minister is going through a painful period of shaking and reformation. 

And this shaking and dismantling can bring instability, it can be disorientating, it can be heartbreaking. 

But instead of being fearful friends, instead of trying to hold on for dear life while all around us is falling, trust that the Lord has his hands on this process. He knows the outcome. 

My neighbour's re-imagined garden is beautiful. From this current season of reformation beauty and glory will come, for the best is yet to come. 

PRAYER:

Father God

When all around us is falling and shaking

Root us in your love

Making us like strong trees 

Able to withstand any storm

Amen