世傑看著兒子的考卷，心想至少他及格了。他一直在為兒子補習數學，但最近家務繁忙和老闆交代的額外工作，讓他很難陪兒子複習。世傑很沮喪，更加思念過世的妻子，若她還健在，一定知道該怎麼做。他無法像妻子那樣面面俱到。

猶大省長所羅巴伯也曾有類似的沮喪，但他的處境更加艱鉅。他被上帝呼召帶領被擄歸回的以色列民重建聖殿，當他們立下根基時，有許多「見過舊殿的老年人⋯⋯便大聲哭號」（以斯拉記3章12節）。他們想起所羅門建造的輝煌聖殿，再看看如今這較小的聖殿規模，每個人（包括所羅巴伯）都會覺得：我們所建造的實在差太遠了！

但上帝說：「所羅巴伯啊，雖然如此，你當剛強！」並對所有的百姓說：「我的靈住在你們中間。你們不要懼怕！」（哈該書2章4-5節）所羅巴伯可以剛強，因為有上帝的引導與同在，上帝必遵守與他們所立的約（5節）。上帝還說：「這殿後來的榮耀必大過先前的榮耀」（9節），這裡或許是指將來耶穌會進到這座聖殿（約翰福音2章13-25節）。

我們在執行上帝所呼召的任務時，可能也會感到沮喪，因我們當前的成果與過去相比顯得黯然失色。讓我們專注於上帝此時的計劃，因為我們所做的事和其目的都屬於祂，並不屬於我們，一切皆是祂的旨意。

At least he passed, Jess thought, holding the test paper. He’d been helping his son with math, but with house chores and extra work from his boss lately, studying together had been tough. Discouraged, Jess thought of his wife, who’d passed away: Lisa, you’d know what to do. I’m not as good a keeper of the home as you were.

On a bigger scale, such discouragement may well have been what Zerubbabel felt. The governor of Judah had been called by God to lead the Israelites in rebuilding the temple after captivity in Babylon. When they’d laid the foundation, “many . . . who had seen the former temple, wept aloud” (Ezra 3:12). The memory of Solomon’s glorious temple lingered again now, as construction of a smaller structure resumed. Ours isn’t as good, everyone, including Zerubbabel, must’ve thought. 

“But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” God said, as He did to all involved: “I am with you . . . my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear” (Haggai 2:4-5). Zerubbabel could take heart in God’s guiding presence, bound by His covenant with them (v. 5). Also, “The glory of this present house will be greater,” God said (v. 9), pointing to when Jesus Himself would visit the temple (John 2:13-25). 

We may feel discouraged in a task God calls us to do, comparing our results with those of another season. Let’s focus on His plan for this season, because the work and its purpose are His, not our own.