God's Mighty Hand

"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

He was in charge of rebuilding the Temple of God.  He relished the challenge at first, following the strict plan given by God generations ago.  It was the culmination of many promises made by the One True God: He would gather His people from all the places where He had banished them and bring them back to this place from which God first had carried His defiant people into exile.  (Jeremiah 29:14)  The humble carpenter was honored to be playing an important role in this historic moment.

Things, however, had not gone as smoothly as he had first hoped.  Opposition arose against the building of the temple; so much so that they had to stop construction for a period of ten years!  Zerubbabel almost gave up, until that momentous day when God himself sent a message to the foreman.  It was just the encouragement he needed to finish the job.

I'm not so different from Zerubbabel.  I may not have the skills and experience needed to head up an important job like rebuilding God's temple, but I do get discouraged by the tasks God has placed in front of me.  The slightest snafu can set me off course, plunging me into the depths of despair.  If things don't go according to plan, my plan, then I act like a piece of twine and come unraveled.  The most minor of irritations can get under my skin, distracting me from the job at hand.

Life is not orderly and organized.  Instead, it is filled with people who have different ideas than I do, others who follow a diverse callings and many who are working against me.  Things don't just fall into place.  Instead, I could more accurately say that if life were a jigsaw puzzle, I would still be trying to find all the edge pieces.  I am not equipped to negotiate life on my own.  When I try, I fail.  

As a follower of Christ, I am called to love the unlovable all around me.  The message God gave to Zerubbabel is the same kind of encouragement I need to get through each day.

Soaring

First there was the unexpected hospitalization.   Then came the car accident, and the ticket that went with it.  Then the phone call every parent dreads, "Mom, I've been in an accident but I'm okay."  It so happens that this final crash was potentially fatal as the teenage boy and his friend rolled the car, totaling it but miraculously walking away unharmed.  Each progressive crisis was another opportunity to trust God for my friend; another occasion to worry.

My friend would agree with me that life is hard and cannot be negotiated in my own strength.  I can try to stay strong for the kids, put up a brave front and do what needs to be done, but inside I am worn out.  The answer lies in where I find my strength.  

If I look to myself, my resources and my support system, I will soon run out of steam.  I am just not designed to carry the kind of load that life heaps upon me.  If, however, I do as the prophet Isaiah directs, I'll get through each day.  He said, "those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  (Isaiah 40:31)

Sometimes, carrying on in the face of day-to-day life is the most difficult task to accomplish.  The drudgery, the monotony, the lack of excitement can cause me to think my life is without meaning.  But if I keep my eyes focused on Jesus, believing that He created me for a special mission and, as unimportant as it may seem to me, I can know without question that God has planned some good works for me to do.

It could be that the good works are hidden in the cup of tea I share with a hurting neighbor or the seemingly insignificant act of helping an older woman carry her groceries to the car, or the kind word of encouragement I give to a coworker.  In the hands of Jesus, a small act of faith has an earth-shattering impact.

Finding my strength in God means I'll never forget who I am: a sinner saved by His grace.

Letting Go

Forgiveness.  I can think of nothing more powerful than the act of letting go of the hurt caused by another's sin.  Jesus' sacrifice on the cross gives me the ability to take this life-changing action.    Instead of holding onto the hurt, anger and pain, I can choose to place it in Jesus' hands where it will be covered by His blood.  Even if the one who hurt me never accepts this free gift of mercy that Jesus offers, I am free from the bondage in which sin holds me.  

It is not within my own power to forgive others.  I can try to let it go, push the act out of my mind and move forward, but the wound festers, lying just under the surface and ready to explode at the slightest provocation.  Likewise, it is impossible for me to forgive myself in my own power.  I can try to let it go, push the guilt out of my mind and move forward, but the shame and remorse will always hang over me like a heavy cloud, bearing down as I slink through each day.

It reminds me of the story of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus' feet with perfume.  She had hurt many people in the town.  Most likely she was the source of jealous anger within a marriage, broken trust and shame that spread like the plague.  There was also much heartache within her.  Her guilt bore down heavily upon her, disgrace and humility her constant companions.  If anyone needed forgiveness, it was her.

Jesus offered that forgiveness and she grabbed it hungrily.  Out of gratefulness and honor to her Savior, she loved Him the best way she knew how and Jesus recognized her gift of gratitude.  

Remembering the sins of which Jesus has forgiven me gives me the power to let go.  

Mission

I can relate to Moses.  When God called him dramatically at the site of the burning bush, he thought of all the reasons he was not the right man for the job.  First of all, he was just a lowly shepherd, not a leader or man of influence.  Then there was his speech problem.  To make matters worse, he also had a credibility problem since he'd run away from the Pharaoh's palace 40 years ago and most of the Israelites would probably not know his identity as a fellow Hebrew.  What was God thinking?

God has a mission for each of His people.  It is a specially chosen ministry that He has called every one of His children to embrace.  None of us are perfectly equipped to carry out that mission.  By design, God expects us to rely on Him for all that I need to accomplish His calling.  As the Apostle Paul said, ". . . for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  (2 Corinthians 12:10)

Paul understood from where the source of his strength and power came.  He comprehended that fact that God was the One who accomplished everything.  Paul's job was to submit to His authority and sovereignty.  

As a fellow follower of Christ, it's no different for me.  God will accomplish what it is He's called me to. . . if I will let Him.  Most of the time, however, I get in the way as I try to do it in my own strength or find excuses to not take the step of faith.  Once I walk off the proverbial cliff into the darkness of the unknown, Jesus will be there to provide firm footing. I can trust Him to accomplish the mission to which He's called me.  Then I will be like Zerubbabel whom God said, "What are you, O mighty mountain?  Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground." (Zechariah 4:7)

Relying on Jesus to accomplish the mission to which He has called me and seeing His mighty works reminds me of who I am without Him. 

God has presented me with an impossible task: To live in a fallen world and love all those around me.  As I keep my own identity as a sinner saved by grace before me I will remember to draw on Jesus for the strength to carry on and for the power to forgive.  Then I will truly see God's mighty hand accomplish His mission in my life.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will rely on God and God alone to accomplish the mission to which He has called me.

When do I give excuses to God for why I can't do what He wants me to do?

How do I hold onto hurt instead of allowing the power of forgiveness to work in my life?