By My Spirit
Zechariah 4:6 “Then He answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Zechariah was a young man who God called as a prophet, along with an older man….to go and awaken the returned remnant of Israel to the work of the Lord.
Having returned to Judah and Jerusalem, the people set to work to make a House for the Lord. To rebuild the Temple….not as grand as Solomon’s….but a place to worship and sacrifice to God, after so many years (70) in which they had no sacrifice.
But, having begun, they were stopped by adversaries which frightened and hindered them.
These adversaries lied to the king of Persia about the returned remnant…and what they were doing….and caused a letter from the king to stop the work of building the Temple.
So the people concentrated on their own farms, and houses….and left the building of the Temple, undone.
God sent them Zechariah and Haggai to correct their fear, and selfishness….and bring them back to their Purpose, here.
Zerubbabel was of the line of David, and he was the “governor” under the king of Persia…..but like the others,…. he too left off seeing to the Temple.
How many times have we let troubling circumstances hinder God’s Purpose for us?
We think that if God wanted it done….He would see to it right away!
But what God wanted them to do….was continue the work. And let God take care of the king and the letter.
For in fact, when they did get back to work….God saw to the king’s letter, by reminding him of the decree about the Temple that Cyrus gave. (Ezra 1:1-3)
And instead of stopping the work….he encouraged and funded it!!
Ezra 6:6-8 “Now therefore,…be far from thence: Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor or the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in His place.
Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do for the elders…for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.”
(Here is an example of:
Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”)
In all this power-play…..Zechariah heard: Tell Zerubbabel…..”Not by might,….nor by power….but by My Spirit saith the Lord of hosts.”
And he relayed the message to Zerubbabel. The deliverance was to be by obedience to His Word….and Will…
…and it would be by God’s Spirit that it would be worked out!
What of us? What hinders the Lord’s purpose for us?
Have we failed to be consistent in our testimony of Christ Jesus?
Have we failed to continue the work we have been called to…..even if there is very good reason!?
When my husband got sick, and he could not stand and preach anymore….we thought everything was over….as far as our ministry was concerned.
A year or so later, we began this blog…this page.
(I laugh now at the mistakes we made in getting a blog set up! We are not tech-savvy.)
And we have had some “bumps” along the way….
….but we feel….that as long as we have breath….we were called to preach and teach HIs Word.
And to Awaken Christians to God’s claims on their lives.
Christ Jesus is to be King….now….in us. Certainly He will be King…reigning over the whole earth, some day (Hasten it, O Lord)
But now, our job is to be His servants,….do our ministry….as we can. And to speak HIs Word faithfully.
Not by might….we can not “make” people love Christ….but we can show them how lovely He is.
Not by power….we have no influence….except the Holy Spirit’s working through HIs Word.
But by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
As Lord of hosts, He has armies of angels….armies of hornets…and, yes, He has the army of HIs church, praying and being obedient…..
….but all the work is done by HIs Spirit through all and any of these.
Let us, as Christians, get back to work,…let us tell the good news, let us finish our course….for it is by HIs Spirit that the deliverance will come.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 