The book of Haggai is wrapped up as God gives his people encouragement to complete the Temple rebuild. He points out to them the obvious - the Temple, as it was now, is nowhere near the glory it once was. Then God does what he does so often. He reminds them to take courage and not be afraid.
What is the reason they should not be afraid? Because He is with them. It's not because we are capable of doing the job. It's not because we are so smart or are experienced Temple builders. It's simply because, if God has commissioned us to do the work, He is with us in it.
Through this prophecy, God also gives the directive to get to work!
While we know that it is not by our works that we are approved by God, we also know that faith without works is dead. Holy Spirit directed works are evidence of our faith. In James chapter 2, James reminds us of Abraham, who, by the direction of God, went into the woods to sacrifice his very own son. In this case, Abraham's faith and trust in God was manifested in his actions. You see that his faith and actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. (Jas 2:22).
So the point is - if God has commissioned us to the do the work, He is with us in it. And if we trust that He is truly with us in it, it should bring freedom to engage fully in the work without fear.
Opportunity to Comment Below: What "work" is God encouraging you to step out and do?
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