Zechariah 1-6

October 7

Zechariah 1-6

"So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 4:6, NIV)

 As we look around our world, people are constantly jockeying for a position of power. Whether it is at work, in sports, or between nations, everyone wants power to control their situation. In reality, none of us is in full control. Jerusalem had been the most powerful nation under David’s reign, but as the nation turned away from God, she lost power and ended up being a nation reduced to rubble and the people were scattered.

 God used other nations, He raised up other leaders to bring discipline upon Israel. The leaders of these nations thought they were special and became self-centered as their kingdom grew. Little did they realize that God was using them for His intended purpose. Now, after seventy years in exile God is once again calling Israel to turn back to Him. But their success does not hinge on building a powerful army, their success hinges on trusting in God.

 We cannot win the spiritual battle of our lives on our own. We too have rebelled against God. We too face discipline for our actions. But God desires for us to turn back to Him. But as hard as we try we continue to fall, we continue to rebel, we continue to sin. We need more than power and might. We need more than willpower. We need the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and to give us new hearts. Then we can serve the Lord with power and might, but it is not our power, but power that comes from God himself.

When our lives seem to lack power, perhaps we are trying to do too much on our own. God wants more for us. He has a plan for us. He will guide us and direct us. As God told Zechariah, He proclaims to us; "Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 1:3, NIV) And when He returns to us, through His Spirit, we receive power to live for Him and to accomplish His plans for our lives.