September 8

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying: — Hag 2:1 BSB

The Lord always seeks to encourage us. These returned exiles were deeply discouraged. They had begun the temple with great enthusiasm, but soon faced challenges. Then God sent His servant to strengthen the governor and the people, to cheer them on so they could continue through all the difficulties ahead. That’s what God always does with His children. He doesn’t want us to ever give in to discouragement. Life is tough at many points, with hard tasks and struggles to endure. Often, our efforts seem to fail, our plans collapse, and our hopes disappoint us. We face opposition and resistance, and it feels like we will never finish what we’ve started.

But when we open the Bible, we find encouragement everywhere. We are taught never to give in to despair. There is no failure in our duty if we remain faithful. We cannot lose to temptation if we stay true to Christ. We won’t be crushed by our burdens if we give them to Him. What seems like failure can turn into success when God’s hand is in it. God always comes to encourage us in our challenges. “Fear not; I am with you!” is His message of divine encouragement in every trial. So we should never lose heart.