Who among us has not had moments when we feel inadequate, simply not up to the task?
Am I up to the challenge of this new job?
Am I ready to help my child into the new season of life just ahead?
Can I survive the loss of my spouse?
Will I please God today in my life and work?
I readily admit that I have heard those questions and many others bringing whispers of doubt and fear to the doorway of my mind! There is an answer that lies outside of my own skills or strengths. The Lord God promises to be my Rock and Resource.
In writing of the Old Testament preacher, Zechariah, we find this passage. “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. “What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”
Then the word of the LORD came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. “Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. ” (Zechariah 4:6-10, NIV)
Zerubbabel was leading the work of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem many years after its destruction by invaders. He had all kinds of difficulties – clearing the rubble and meeting the threats from the nations that surrounded Jerusalem. His greatest challenge was motivating the people to do the work when it dragged on and failed to meet their expectations of a Temple as glorious as the one that Solomon had built.
His call was to do something BIG and his resources were limited so, using the preacher, God sent him a word to encourage his efforts, reminding him that his greatest resource was the Spirit of God and that when he finished the task, everyone would realize that it was God, not Zerubbabel who made it happen.
What does that ancient story have to do with you and me? We, too, take the promise of His power to be in us, making us capable, resourcing us with everything we need.
You and I, in the purposes of God, are also temple builders. God, the Spirit, lives in us. The Word says “our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God.” He desires a way of life that honors Him, that allows His majestic grace and love to be on display to the people with whom we live. Naturally, I am not equipped for such a high calling. Living a life where God’s love is consistently shown, where my daily actions are graced with goodness is a huge challenge.
Given that we are flawed by a sinful nature, the idea of being God’s temple seems ridiculous – except that I am reminded that it is “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.”
In Ephesians God’s promise to empower us is clear. Paul writes, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:8-10, NLT)
The Good News is that God’s love is greater than all my failure! (and yours, too!) Christ Jesus does for us that we cannot do for ourselves, making us right with God, taking away our guilt and shame, and granting us the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Take the Word to heart. Look up with faith. Ask for strength remain steady, for greater wisdom to see the solutions, and for release of Divine resources so that anyone who walks through life with you will say “Look what God is doing!” And, in that, you will have accomplished the calling we each share – to glorify the God who saved us.
Here is a promise. Paul writes after nearly dying in a time of awful persecution. “We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die.
But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” (2 Corinthians 1:9-10, NLT)
Put your confidence in the Lord and He will bring you safely home! Amen.
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