This is God's Message to Zerubbabel: 'You can't force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,' says God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
Zechariah 4:6 - MSG
He was a devout Christian who seemed to live his life looking beyond himself. Everything he did somehow included serving others. How he did it was always a question for me. I talked to him from time to time, and he always seemed to have the same answer. It was a verse from Micah that says, “Love mercy, act justly, and walk humbly with your God.”
Those qualities were evident throughout his life, and he insisted that his strength came from living them out in his relationship with God. He never seemed to do anything in his own strength or power. He simply trusted the Lord to provide what he needed, when he needed it. Well into his eighties, he was still living out his life for others, relying on the Lord's strength rather than his own.
In today's verse, Zerubbabel faced a seemingly overwhelming assignment. God had called him to rebuild the temple, but the obstacles before him appeared enormous. Through the prophet Zechariah, God delivered a message that still speaks to weary hearts today: “You can't force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,”
My friend understood this principle and lived it every day. It is God's strength, not ours, that stands the test of time and trials.
Man might count on the natural resources and abilities many people depend upon: personal talent, wealth, influence, intelligence, experience, and sheer determination. But God was reminding Zerubbabel that neither the strength of many nor the abilities of one would be enough to accomplish what lay before him.
Instead, the work would be completed through God's Spirit.
It would serve us well to learn this lesson for our own lives. We all have times when we rely heavily on our own abilities, experience, and determination. God can certainly use those things, but they were never meant to be our ultimate source of confidence. They are instruments in His hands, not substitutes for His strength.
The encouraging truth is that God's Spirit is not limited by what limits us. When our energy is gone, His strength remains. When our wisdom reaches its end, His understanding is perfect. When the obstacle before us appears immovable, God sees a mountain that can become a level plain.
If you are facing a mountain today, perhaps the Lord's invitation is not to push harder but to trust deeper. Release the pressure of believing everything depends on you. The God who called you is the God who empowers you. His Spirit is already at work, even when your strength runs out.
Trust Him.
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the times I have relied more on my own strength than on Your Spirit. When I am tempted to strive, remind me to trust. When obstacles seem overwhelming, help me remember that You are greater than every mountain before me. Fill me with Your Spirit, guide my steps, and do through me what I could never accomplish on my own. Teach me to rest in Your power and not my own. Thank You for Your faithful presence and unfailing strength.
In Jesus' Name, Amen…
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