Haggai 2:3
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
The remnant of people who saw the rebuilding of the temple first saw the temple as nothing. However, God never intends to leave His work as nothing, but He intends to bring His work to the point that His glory rests upon it. God said about this second temple in verse 7, And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. God was not done with this work. God promised that one day He would fill this house with His glory. However, there are some key things we must see between the nothing and the glory.
First, everything starts at nothing. We want the glory without paying the price to see that glory, but the glory of God on a work always starts with nothing. You must remember that just because you don't have much doesn't mean that you can't become much. Too many don't want to start with nothing because they want to have the crowds, but every great work has started with nothing. You don't start things because you have a big crowd; you start things because it is what God wants you to do. Just because you have a small church does not mean you are nothing. You may start with nothing, but you are something with God if you intend to take that nothing and bring it to the point that the glory of God rests upon that work. Your life may seem like nothing to you, but God is the master of taking nothing and turning it into something that His glory rests upon. If God can create a world from nothing, He is very capable of taking your nothing and turning it into a great work that His glory rests upon.
Second, nothing ever gets to the glory of God without hard work. God said in verse 4, be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: Notice that He told them to work. No great work has ever been built without hard work. Great works don't happen, they become great with the hard work of God’s people. Why should God turn your nothing into glory if you are unwilling to work to get it? Why should God invest His glory into your nothing if you are unwilling to invest work and effort into this work? It takes hard work to build great works. You can look for the easy way, but the easy way always keeps you at nothing. It is easy to criticize the one building a great work by saying they are driving people and using people, but may I remind you that you lead people by working yourself to see God do something mighty. God never uses a lazy person, and He never puts His glory on the slothful; His glory only rests on those who are willing to work.
Third, it takes courage and strength to get from nothing to glory. You must be strong enough to step out with nothing to see God do something through you. The weak wait for everything to fall into place but never see anything fall into place; whereas, the strong take nothing, work hard, and never give up until God puts His glory on their work.
My friend, we need people today who are not afraid to take nothing and turn it into a great work that God puts His glory upon. Be one of the few who are willing to risk everything to see God do something mighty through their work. You will never regret taking your nothing and working hard to build it into something that God’s glory rests upon.
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