The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Haggai 2:2-9, “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying,
3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it
now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?
4 ‘But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD, ‘take courage also, Joshua
son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares
the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the LORD of hosts.
5 ‘As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding
in your midst; do not fear!’
6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.
7 ‘I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will
fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.
8 ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts.
9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts,
‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the LORD of hosts.”

Anyone who follows the spiritual trend of the LORD’s people, are bound to notice the wavering between the godly and the carnal lifestyles. The people sin; the LORD redeems them. They sin again; and the LORD redeems them again. Our verses above give a glimpse of the people of Haggai’s era.

The people had not abandoned the LORD altogether, yet they were exceeding fearful of
what lay before them. Three times in verse four alone, the LORD says, “take courage.”
Then, in verse five, He again admonishes His people saying, “My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!” His intention is further stated when He adds that all things are His and
He will shake the nations until He empties them of the gold and silver that are His and are needed to beautify His House.

We are not far from where the LORD’s people were as noted in these verses. We lay claim
to silver and gold, and all things precious– things that belong to God. We learn to love His possessions more than we love Him. And that is precisely what leads us into sin. He disciplines us, as He did His ancient people until they repented and turned again to Him in faith. He blesses, and things go well, until they again turn away from Him to the “things” that are His. The cycle is non-stop throughout the ages.

One thing must be made clear: the LORD is superior to all things! The precious things that
are His are nothing when compared with Him! The LORD is incomparable! When we learn
to live by that premise, we will have truly welcomed Him in our hearts, as our LORD and Savior!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom