*DAILY ⓂANNA*THURSDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER, 2022*SUCCESS THROUGH FORTITUDE*

SUCCESS THROUGH FORTITUDE

It is advisable you read the text first

📜📜TEXT:HAGGAI 2:4-9📜📜

🔑📖KEY VERSE: _"Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts" (HAGGAI 2:4).

When Henry Ford, the car manufacturer, told his engineers he wanted an engine with eight cylinders cast into one block, it looked like an impossible idea. The engineers told him it was not possible. But he insisted and said they were free to take as much time as they needed but they had to produce it "anyway, anyhow". With courage, determination and perseverance, "the impossible" became possible and they were able to produce it eventually. That gave rise to the famous "V-8" motors.

The children of Judah had just returned to Jerusalem after seventy years of the Babylonian exile. They were to rebuild the temple, which was destroyed. There were enemies all around who never wanted the task to be done and had applied various forms of intimidation to stop the work. The Lord, through Prophet Haggai, encouraged the people and the leaders, in particular, to "be strong... and work". In line with the covenant He made with Israel, He assured them that His Spirit was with them.

Satan's strategy has always been to weaken God's people through his messengers and prevent them from carrying out the will of God. This is evidenced in the opposition Nehemiah faced at the hands of Sanballat, Tobiah and others when he came to rebuild the broken wall of Jerusalem.

No matter the opposition of Satan and his agents, God's people, like Nehemiah, must remain resolute, focused and undeterred in preaching the gospel to every creature. The patriarchs of old obeyed and God worked with them, confirming their words with signs and wonders. The same assurance that Christ gave them of His ever-abiding presence is with us today. Hence, there is no better time to do it than now.

✍🏽THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Courage and complete obedience always accomplish God's mandate.

📜THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 JOHN 1-5📜

MEDITATION

Receiving strength to face difficult challenges

1. The source of discouragement
a. Few people survived and returned to Jerusalem after about 70 years of captivity.
b. Rebuilding the temple was a daunting task with so few people.
c. A comparison of the new temple they were struggling to build was dwarfed in splendour and size compared to Solomon's temple. So nothing cheering except discouragement, v3.

Question
a. What was their source of discouragement in facing the challenge of completing the building of the temple?
b. Are you also facing intimidating challenges that discourage you? What is the source?

Carnal comparison at times is a subtle cause of discouragement. It is always healthy to consider being in the will with the hand of God over your life.

2. The strength for discouragement
a. "Be strong", "I am with you", "my Spirit remains with you", and "fear not" is always comforting and soothing words from the Lord when facing challenges, vv4,5. You need to accept and believe those words of God.
b. "Little is much when God is in it". It is not the size of the temple or project you can do but the presence and the will of God.
c. Always ask for divine strength to do the task given to you. "Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might" Ephesians 6:10.
d. Isaiah 40:28-31 gives the secret of renewal of strength as knowing and waiting on the Lord.

Question
How can believers renew their strength and receive more courage regularly?

3. The second advent
a. Courage and faithfulness to the Lord in the present challenges will always bring a promise of brighter and better tomorrow.
b. The prophecy of the coming great tribulation (vv6,7) followed by the Millenial temple which will even dwarf Solomon's temple in glory and magnificence was given in v9.
c. God is a God of better things. Expect greater glory, blessings and expansion whenever you courageously and faithfully say NO to discouragement and YES to the will of God no matter how difficult.

Prayer points
Lord, I ask for the Spirit of courage and strength to conquer all my challenges 🙏
Lord, I hereby bind and reject all the spirit of discouragement and weakness in my life🙏
God of better things, I ask that my life will always experience better things in every area🙏
Lord, be releasing new and abundant strength to your people on daily basis🙏

HYMN Little is much when God is in it

***Remember the content a got from the DEEPER CHRISTIAN LIFE MINISTRY daily-manna in SEPTEMBER ***

[Source of the content]: Daily Manna

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