Text: Zechariah 4:6-9
Key verse: Zechariah 4:7: “Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, grace unto it,” (KJV).

THE prophecy in Zechariah 4:6-9 was given to Prophet Zechariah, who was one of the first leaders of Israel. Prophet Zerubbabel and the people of Israel born during the 70 years captivity in Babylon had returned to Jerusalem.

They decided to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem, which lie in ruins. When Nebuchadnezzar attacked the temple, he destroyed the temple and took away all the sacred things in the temple.

They started rebuilding the project, but it came to a halt because of lack of money and oppositions to the project.

It was at this time that God spoke through the angel to Zerubbabel.

God comes in when our efforts, physical actions and mental ability had failed us; he comes to prove that He is God.

God in Zechariah 4:6 said to Zerubbabel: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”

God was saying to Zerubbabel, you’ve done all you can do physically, but it is not going to move by power nor by might, but by the Spirit of God.

Things that our power and our might cannot move, the Holy Spirit will move it.

There are things that our power can move; there are things our might can move and there are things only the Spirit of God can move. When we force things in our own strength, things break.

When you use force to open something it can break. But when you find out how to do it, it is easy.

The Spirit is the anointing that will break the yoke.

When you are faced with any task that seems impossible, do not rely on your own power or might, but on the Holy Spirit.

Zerubbabel has an enormous responsibility to rebuild the Temple.

The task was daunting. He faced many problems coupled with the fact that the group was small, the people were discouraged and poor, and enemies were coming against the work.

But God reminded them, that He is on their side.

God reminded Zerubbabel, not only that He is there with him, but also that He will help him to complete the project He Has started.

This year will be a good year, not because the economy will be good, not because the circumstances around us are good, not because our businesses are thriving, but because God is with us and He has gone ahead of us in the year.

Isaiah 45:2 says: “I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.”

What is really important is not how strong, or capable, or intelligent you are. What is important is whether you trust Him and believe in His power.

We need not have to fight life’s battles with our own strength and limited wisdom.
God wants us to put our trust in Him.

God wants us to rely on His strength.

The Psalmist says: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble,” (Psalm 46:1). Make every effort daily, as the Apostle John said, to be “in the Spirit” (Revelation 1:10), to be in touch with Him, to be in harmony with Him, to be sensitive to His voice, to have your mind “governed by the Spirit,” (Romans 8:6).

• Today’s nugget: God is our refuge and strength. Prayer: Every mountain standing against us will be moved in Jesus’ name…Amen! Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: [email protected]. Rev. Abel Ukachi Amadi, General Superintendent Assemblies of God Nigeria.