Praise for the simple slab

In Ezra 3 they are trying to rebuild the temple after Nebuchadnezzar had torn it down and had it destroyed. They do not have the money or the resources to build any further than a foundation being laid down. In this moment there are two different reactions by the people. One group praises God with great joy, and the other group starts to cry and wail with a dramatic sorrow.

This first group is likely one that had not known the old temple. So that there was now movement toward any temple gives them great joy. They see potential for what is to come, and they praise God for it.

The second group likely knew and saw the old temple before it was torn down. They are mourning the loss of the old temple, but they are certain the future will not be like the past. In so doing, they do not recognize this foundation slab as a reason to celebrate.

In this point of life we often find ourselves, we only have a foundation laid out after having been stripped down, torn down and broken down in our lives. We have two choices in those moments and seasons of life.

We can mourn the loss of the old or the way things used to be. We can cry and complain dramatically because things are just never going to be that way again. 

Or we can recognize that God is a restorer who is always making things new (Rev. 21:5), and God always completes what He starts. This means whatever foundation God is laying in my heart and life is promise of what is to come. It is also a reminder that God will spend a lot of time and attention on the foundation in my life, because it is the most vital part. 

You can praise God for the foundation. It may only feel like and be a simple slab, but this is promise of the future to come. God will build on the foundation He is laying in my life right now. I ought to be joyful, grateful, and worshipful.