Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, (Haggai 2:4 ESV)
Do
The final game of one of the high school chess championships was intensely intimidating. My opponent was a foreign exchange student who had not taken part in the chess club all year, but now was in the championship chessmatch against me.
I did not know her. I did not have any past games to evaluate. I did not know her style, her preference, or her experience.
All I know is that it was my turn.
And I did not know what to do.
For some reason, I thought of one of those cartoons in which advisors, one ‘good’ and one ‘bad’ might stand on my shoulders and tell me what to do. THEN I could choose. THEN I would regain my confidence.
But no one was giving advice, invisible, visible, or cartoon.
And I let too much time go by.
I sat there doing nothing, because the decision seemed too much.
As the game progressed, I made up my lost time. But I learned a lesson.
Doing nothing is dangerous.
Haggai learns that he has no reason to do nothing. Even when his options seem limited, or all bad… as one of God’s children, he gets to DO… knowing that if Haggai is righteous, obedient, and properly principled, Haggai is not alone. And even if he errs, makes poor choices, and fails… God is with him.
And God is with us, too. Not because we are amazing, but because Jesus is. We can choose to DO, because we are not alone.
We can not confidently DO, but in Christ we can.