R³ Devotional - Day 262
R³ Devotional - Day 262 - Haggai 2
By: Brooke Serres
“The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace.” (Haggai 2:9, ESV)
There comes a time in every believer’s life when you look at what you’ve built and wonder if it’s enough. Maybe it’s your family, your work, your ministry, or even your spiritual walk, and in that quiet moment of honesty, you feel the weight of disappointment. “This isn’t what I thought it would be. It’s smaller. It’s weaker. It’s broken.”
That’s exactly where the people of Haggai’s day were. They had returned from exile with big hopes, only to find rubble, weariness, and a temple that looked like a poor shadow of Solomon’s glory. Compared to the past, their present looked pitiful. Compared to the dream, reality felt empty. Can you relate? Maybe you look at your life and see cracks that can’t be hidden anymore. Maybe your faith feels tired. Maybe sin has robbed you of joy. Maybe grief has shaken you, leaving your soul raw and restless. And yet — God speaks into this place. Not into strength, but into weakness. Not into triumph, but into discouragement. His promise was not, “Try harder. Make it look bigger.” His promise was this: “The glory of the latter house will be greater than the former, and in this place I will give peace.”
Do you see it? The glory was never in the stone walls or the gold decorations. It was never in human effort or appearance. The glory was always in God’s presence. And that same truth is what your heart needs today.
Your life may feel small. Your efforts may feel unimpressive. Your faith may feel shaky. But the Spirit of God still fills broken temples. He still brings glory out of ashes. He still speaks peace where there is chaos. This is where conviction comes in. Too often, we chase after glory in the wrong places: approval, success, politics, relationships, comfort. We convince ourselves that if life looked grand enough on the outside, it would finally satisfy. But friend, hear this: the truest glory is not in what you can build, but in who you let dwell inside. If God’s presence is not the center, no amount of achievement will ever be enough. But if God’s Spirit fills you — even in your weakness, even in your brokenness — then your latter days will carry greater glory than your former, because His power is made perfect in weakness.
Even now, in the quiet places of your heart, God is at work. He sees the weariness, the small victories that feel insignificant, and the efforts that go unnoticed. He sees your doubts, your struggles, and the cracks you try to hide. And yet, His Spirit remains. He is not done with you. The shaking in your life, the moments that feel like rubble, are not the end; they are the refining, the clearing away of what is temporary so that His glory can fill the spaces that remain. The latter days of your life, your faith, your work, your family, your heart—these can be greater than what you’ve left behind. Not because of your strength, not because of what you can do, but because God is faithful to fill you with His presence. Do not fear what you cannot control. Do not despair over what feels small or broken. Let Him dwell, and let Him rebuild. His glory will fill you, His peace will sustain you, and His Spirit will guide you into a life more radiant than you could have imagined.
So let this promise press deep into your soul: Your best days are not behind you. Not because you are strong, but because He is faithful. Not because your temple is impressive, but because His Spirit fills it. What He rebuilds, He redeems. And what He redeems, He fills with glory.
REAL. READY. RELEVANT.
REAL – God never promised us that life would look glamorous or easy. Sometimes our “temple” feels small, weak, or broken. But His presence is what makes our lives radiant with glory, not our strength.
READY – Be ready to release your obsession with outward success, approval, or comfort, and let God fill your life with His Spirit. His peace comes when He is the center.
RELEVANT – Even when your life feels shaken, the promise of Haggai still stands: the latter glory will be greater than the former. God is at work, and His Spirit is filling your life today.
Prayer:
Lord, I come before You as I am: weary, broken, and unsure if what I’ve built is enough. Forgive me for the times I’ve relied on my own strength instead of resting in Your presence. Fill the empty and fragile places of my heart with Your Spirit. Help me to let go of what is temporary and hold fast to what is eternal. Teach me to trust that even in my weakness, Your power is made perfect, and that the glory You promise will overflow in my life. Remind me daily that You are at work, even when I cannot see it, and that Your peace is real, steady, and unshakable. Strengthen me to walk in courage, to rebuild with faith, and to dwell in Your glory, knowing that the latter days of my life, my faith, and my heart can be greater than what has come before. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
There comes a time in every believer’s life when you look at what you’ve built and wonder if it’s enough. Maybe it’s your family, your work, your ministry, or even your spiritual walk, and in that quiet moment of honesty, you feel the weight of disappointment. “This isn’t what I thought it would be. It’s smaller. It’s weaker. It’s broken.”
That’s exactly where the people of Haggai’s day were. They had returned from exile with big hopes, only to find rubble, weariness, and a temple that looked like a poor shadow of Solomon’s glory. Compared to the past, their present looked pitiful. Compared to the dream, reality felt empty. Can you relate? Maybe you look at your life and see cracks that can’t be hidden anymore. Maybe your faith feels tired. Maybe sin has robbed you of joy. Maybe grief has shaken you, leaving your soul raw and restless. And yet — God speaks into this place. Not into strength, but into weakness. Not into triumph, but into discouragement. His promise was not, “Try harder. Make it look bigger.” His promise was this: “The glory of the latter house will be greater than the former, and in this place I will give peace.”
Do you see it? The glory was never in the stone walls or the gold decorations. It was never in human effort or appearance. The glory was always in God’s presence. And that same truth is what your heart needs today.
Your life may feel small. Your efforts may feel unimpressive. Your faith may feel shaky. But the Spirit of God still fills broken temples. He still brings glory out of ashes. He still speaks peace where there is chaos. This is where conviction comes in. Too often, we chase after glory in the wrong places: approval, success, politics, relationships, comfort. We convince ourselves that if life looked grand enough on the outside, it would finally satisfy. But friend, hear this: the truest glory is not in what you can build, but in who you let dwell inside. If God’s presence is not the center, no amount of achievement will ever be enough. But if God’s Spirit fills you — even in your weakness, even in your brokenness — then your latter days will carry greater glory than your former, because His power is made perfect in weakness.
Even now, in the quiet places of your heart, God is at work. He sees the weariness, the small victories that feel insignificant, and the efforts that go unnoticed. He sees your doubts, your struggles, and the cracks you try to hide. And yet, His Spirit remains. He is not done with you. The shaking in your life, the moments that feel like rubble, are not the end; they are the refining, the clearing away of what is temporary so that His glory can fill the spaces that remain. The latter days of your life, your faith, your work, your family, your heart—these can be greater than what you’ve left behind. Not because of your strength, not because of what you can do, but because God is faithful to fill you with His presence. Do not fear what you cannot control. Do not despair over what feels small or broken. Let Him dwell, and let Him rebuild. His glory will fill you, His peace will sustain you, and His Spirit will guide you into a life more radiant than you could have imagined.
So let this promise press deep into your soul: Your best days are not behind you. Not because you are strong, but because He is faithful. Not because your temple is impressive, but because His Spirit fills it. What He rebuilds, He redeems. And what He redeems, He fills with glory.
REAL. READY. RELEVANT.
REAL – God never promised us that life would look glamorous or easy. Sometimes our “temple” feels small, weak, or broken. But His presence is what makes our lives radiant with glory, not our strength.
READY – Be ready to release your obsession with outward success, approval, or comfort, and let God fill your life with His Spirit. His peace comes when He is the center.
RELEVANT – Even when your life feels shaken, the promise of Haggai still stands: the latter glory will be greater than the former. God is at work, and His Spirit is filling your life today.
Prayer:
Lord, I come before You as I am: weary, broken, and unsure if what I’ve built is enough. Forgive me for the times I’ve relied on my own strength instead of resting in Your presence. Fill the empty and fragile places of my heart with Your Spirit. Help me to let go of what is temporary and hold fast to what is eternal. Teach me to trust that even in my weakness, Your power is made perfect, and that the glory You promise will overflow in my life. Remind me daily that You are at work, even when I cannot see it, and that Your peace is real, steady, and unshakable. Strengthen me to walk in courage, to rebuild with faith, and to dwell in Your glory, knowing that the latter days of my life, my faith, and my heart can be greater than what has come before. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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