The Good Old Days

It’s fun to look at old photos, reminiscing about by-gone days.

But if we’re not careful, we can start feeling sad.

Old photos reveal how much the passing years have taken from us—our friends, our youthful faces, our favorite old places. We may find ourselves yearning for the irretrievable “good old days.”

We aren't alone in this tendency. A similar thing happens to the elderly Jewish exiles who return to Jerusalem with the younger folks to help rebuild the temple.

When the foundation of the new temple is laid, everybody shouts for joy—except the old folks. They start to weep. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid (Ezra 3:12 NIV).

These folks are in their seventies and eighties, with childhood memories of Solomon’s magnificent temple still fresh in their minds. The new temple will be unimpressive by comparison. Why should they try to rebuild it?

I love how the Lord acknowledges the memories of the old people. “Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!” (Haggai 2:3 NLT)

After acknowledging their feelings, the Lord urges them not to get stuck in nostalgia for what is long gone. There is Kingdom work still to be done! “Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you…My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised..." (Haggai 2:4-5 NLT)

The Lord’s presence is all they need to keep working here and now. His mighty Spirit remains right alongside them, providing grace and strength for the task at hand.

Furthermore, God surprises them by saying: “The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory” (Haggai 2:9 NLT). Even though the new temple will be less impressive outwardly, God will fill it with greater glory!

I am greatly heartened by these words. The Lord can do something glorious with what is not outwardly impressive.

God can take us here and now—in our less
robust older years—and still bring glory to his name through our lives. As the apostle Paul reminds us, This precious treasure—this light and power that now shine within us—is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own. (II Cor. 4:7 NLT)

So we can take heart even though the good old days are gone. These are the good new days.  These are the good now days.

Let's keep shining wherever and however we can!

©MarionSpeicherBrown





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