“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 seven capstones in the hand of Zerubbabel” – (Zechariah 4:10)

In any life there often come setbacks, moments when one’s work and hopes are put on hold or just frustrated. When Zerrubbabel, the leader of the people of Judah was called by God to begin rebuilding the temple after exile in Babylon, perhaps he imagined it a quicksand project. Yet what was clearly a call from God and a good work at that would take 17 years to see to completion.

When he first raised a foundation Zerubbabel found his people giving him little credit. “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…” (Ezekiel 3:12). Later some people set out to discourage him. “Then the people around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and made them afraid to go on building” (Ezra 4:4).

In life, like Zerubbabel, you may set out to accomplish a task, only to face a setback. But Zerubbabel was not a quitter and perservered against odds. As the word of the Lord says: “being confident in the day that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6).

Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I pray to hold that dream you have given me and see it to completion against all odds, this I pray in Jesus’ name.