Ezra 3:11-12 reads: “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: “He is good; His love to Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 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, while many others shouted for joy.
Beloved, the temple of God that had been destroyed had to be constructed again.
While those constructing all over again were happy, those who knew how magnificent the old temple was, were crying probably because they felt there was no hope or no way the new temple could ever be like the old one again.
The blessings of God remain with us all in several ways. Yet disaster may arise, either due to the carelessness of our hearts or the unanticipated storms of life. When our whole life is raised down to ground zero, the challenge becomes how to start all over again. Starting all over again and going through new beginnings are very difficult processes. We may tend to see them as unfortunate because we can easily compare with the achievements of the past and feel dejected. Truly, it won’t be easy when one loses a great job and has to start all over again moving from office to office with application letters and begging for vacancies for menial jobs. When you look at your newly born child, you may weep over the one that died some years back.
After our troubles and setbacks, we unconsciously begin to yearn for our past life, and fail to appreciate God for the humble beginnings and the opportunity to rise up again. As all Israel praised and rejoiced that the foundation for the new temple has at least been laid, the aged in Israel began to weep as they compared the new foundation to the old. To them the old was much better.
But we must not be like the aged of Israel in the days of Ezra. When we have to start all over again, we must do so with gladness and boldness because in life, not all have even the opportunity to start all over again. We must note that the God who commences new things in us, as we start all over again, is capable of bringing our new beginnings to successful ends. We must also know that the Lord is able to repay us for the years the locusts have eaten and we will have plenty to eat. Haggai 2:9 is even instructive as we start all over again in new beginnings. It says “For the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty”.
So let us start all over again if we have to. Let us look up to Jesus for strength and grace. He who has began a new thing shall bring it to an expected end. He is the God of many chances, He will restore us now, better than our before.
Source: newsthemegh.com