By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
GEMS FOR MEDITATION AND PRAYER
THEME FOR THE WEEK: WONDERFUL GOD: GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS WITH SMALL ELEMENTS
SUNDAY
THEME: NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT
SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 4:6
“So he answered and 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 of hosts.”
REFLECTIONS
You can trust God and have confidence that He will do great things in your life. If you want meaning in life, your best option is to trust God and allow Him to lead you. Often, we get discouraged before we even begin an initiative. This is so because we look at ourselves and observe all our weaknesses and inabilities in the face of the seemingly massive mountain before us.
Today, we have good news. If we choose God, His Spirit will accomplish our desires. With little or no resources, God will fulfill His promise. If we trust Him, He will stand in for us to establish our expectations. We find ourselves practically bounded and bridled by our doubts, mistrust, and unbelief. But it is time to acknowledge and experience the power of divine help.
Zerubbabel and the exiles were discouraged by their enemies’ efforts, which stalled the temple’s construction for fifteen years. There was doubt as to whether the purpose of their return from Babylon, to forestall the temple, would ever happen. It was in the light of this that God spoke through Zechariah in Zechariah 4:6 – “So he answered and 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 of hosts.” Though the enemies have tried with force to stop the work, it will be accomplished by the Spirit of God. It is the Spirit of God that will accomplish any daunting task. Outside of God’s power, all other attempts will be without power. Therefore, in verse 10, the angel said: “For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” God sees, God will accomplish!
Those who are committed to doing the will and the work of God are given this encouragement. It is not your efforts but the Spirit of God who will accomplish the impossible. God delights that we do not attempt by our strength but solely depend on Him to do it for us. We get frustrated when we try to do things ourselves, knowing we have limitations. The best approach is to take the initiative with God, trust Him, ask for divine help, and get the maximum support from start to finish. Psalms 37:3-5 admonishes, “[3]Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. [4]Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. [5]Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” Beloved, do not despise small beginnings or small things. Do not give up too soon. It is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 506 – “A Mighty Fortress”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His promises; thank God for your privilege to receive divine help; pray to trust God and seek His guidance in your life;
– Pray for people who have embarked on laudable projects but abandoned them due to opposition; pray for Church members to depend on the Spirit of God for their desires to be accomplished;
– Pray for service institutions and committed individuals to elicit divine guidance; pray for the Spirit of God to interpose for the displaced, innocent victims of war, terrorism, and oppression;
– Pray for the peace and prosperity of the nation, divine intervention to solve national challenges, and transformation of the character of citizens and leadership.
