Resetting on redemption

Christine Colliar November 09, 2025 0 0

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Haggai 2: 1-9 (NRSVA)

2 In the second year of King Darius, 1 in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4 Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendour, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

When the people of Haggai’s day looked at the ruins of the temple, they saw loss, the collapse of what once held their faith, their hope, and their identity together. Now, returned from exile in Babylon, they feel ruined, just like their temple. Into their brokenness, God presses the reset button. God speaks words of courage and renewal, ‘Take courage and work, for I am with you.’

Redemption, like a long-forgotten song, is being reintroduced here, note by note, phrase by phrase. God is retuning the hearts of his people to the melody of his presence. What was lost is being rebuilt in stone, but also re-formed in trust. The temple is not the real song — the song is God’s steadfast love that will not let them go.

In worship, we respond to that divine reset. We come with our unfinished work, our exhaustion, our scattered thoughts, and God invites us back into harmony. Worship resets us by reorienting our hearts toward God’s promise, ‘My Spirit abides among you; do not fear.’

When we worship, courage is not something we summon, it is something given. It rises in us as we remember that redemption is not our achievement, but God’s gift already sung into being.

To think about:
What parts of your life or your community feel like ruins waiting to be rebuilt?
How might worship help you hear God’s, ‘Take courage,’ anew?
What song, hymn, or psalm helps you ‘reset’ and remember that God’s Spirit remains with you?

Prayer: (To the tune of ‘Be thou my vision’)

God of our courage, our shelter, our song,
when all seems broken, remind us we belong.
Your Spirit whispers through ruins and rain,
‘Take heart, my children, I’m with you again.’

Reset our hearts, Lord, tune them to grace,
help us to seek you, and see your face.
May every measure, and every refrain,
sing of redemption, our loss turned to gain.

Amen