"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). The Lord said this through the prophet Zechariah to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, in the year 520 B.C. Zerubbabel had returned with other exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem in hopes of rebuilding the city, which had sat in ruins for decades. More challenging than the construction work, however, was the resistance the Samaritans mounted against the reestablishment of a temple in Jerusalem (see Ezra 4). The opposition was so strong that it felt like a mountain to Zerubbabel. But through prophets like Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1), God called Zerubbabel and his builders to have faith instead of giving up. Not through human strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, the mountain of opposition would move and Zerubbabel would complete the temple's reconstruction: "What are you, O great mountain? Before Zeurbbabel you shall become a plain, and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'" (Zechariah 4:7).
I wonder if Jesus had this prophecy in the back of his mind when he said, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). What mountains do you need the Spirit of the Lord to move today? Perhaps it's a problem in a relationship or a medical diagnosis that feels immovable to you. Maybe you see larger problems in society and the world that seem similarly entrenched. Or, you might simply be looking for a way forward through this confusing season of our lives. Take heart: not by our power, but through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit, these mountains can be moved.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Chris
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