The book of Haggai addresses the Hebrew people who returned from exile expecting to rebuild their glorious temple, only to find their efforts looking small and disappointing compared to the past. God reminds them that His presence precedes His project - they don't work to earn God's presence, but work because He is already with them. The mess they see is part of God's method of transformation, like construction scaffolding that signals progress rather than failure. Resurrection logic calls us to live by God's promises rather than current appearances, participating actively in His long-term construction project even when we can't see the full picture.