Push Forward

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | Beth Grace

Haggai

The Lord called a man to push against a certain boulder. He obeyed, setting his feet, leaning into the huge rock, and activating his shoulder muscles. Day after day, he tried with all his might, but after a while he became frustrated. The boulder wasn’t budging. Finally, he cried to the Lord, saying that he was a failure, and asked God why He would assign him this impossible task of moving the boulder. The Lord reminded the man that he hadn’t been asked to move it. He was told to push against it. His body had grown stronger, as did his resolve.

Haggai’s message is not unlike the man pushing against the boulder. I’m called to abide in Him and follow His direction. My job is to build up the Kingdom of God, whether I see results or not. I can easily prioritize my stuff, my wants, and my desires (Haggai 1:4–5), but does any of that point to Jesus Christ?

“You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:6).

In a world that craves immediate gratification, God expects us to have patience and trust His timing. Sometimes obedience feels like pushing against a boulder that refuses to move. But maybe the point isn’t always what moves around us. Maybe God is strengthening what is within us.

The Lord will safeguard His people. God promised to keep His chosen people, Israel, from harm and bring justice against their adversaries. Israel is “the apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8). And as a child of God grafted into the family, I know He is faithful in times of trouble.

I may not always see the results of my obedience, but I can trust the One who called me to push.