How to Move a Mountain | Zechariah 4:6-10
Israel is desolate. God’s temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed. The Jewish people have been carted off to Babylon. Seventy years later, God moves the heart of King Cyrus. He sends a coalition of Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple.[1] The project starts, then stalls. Another twenty years pass. Zerubabbel is now commissioned to finish the temple. It’s a daunting task. It’s 500 BC and the only power equipment is manpower. And the men aren’t enthusiastic. Finishing the temple seems impossible.
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,”
says the Lord Almighty.
“What are you, O mighty mountain?
Before Zerubabbel you will become level ground.”
Do you face a seemingly impossible task? Find a job in an economic crisis. Care for aging parents. Lose weight. Fight cancer. Battle depression. Rebuild a life after death or divorce. Seek a new career. Start a ministry. Finish college. What mighty mountain looms before you?
I have mountains to move. Yet, I’m small and weak. My strength, wisdom, and resources are limited. I can push all day. They won’t budge.
God tells Zerubabbel, “This one's on me.” You can’t make it happen. I can. The temple won’t be completed by human effort alone. It will take a supernatural work of my Spirit.
So Zerubabbel sat back and watched God rebuild the temple. No, not at all. Zerubabbel labored. He sweat. He gave the project his all. And God made it succeed:
God moved the mountain. In 516 B.C., the temple stood completed.
In the next verse, the Lord asks, “Who despises the day of small things?” Zerubbabel began the rebuilding project with the simple act of holding up a plumb line. The old adage rings true: A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
I confess. I have sometimes despised the day of small things. On those days, everything about my life feels small and insignificant. Give me big, bold, and splashy. Small smacks of failure. As usual, God has a different perspective. Jesus said that faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain. A mustard seed’s tiny, slightly larger than a period. God doesn't despise the day of small things. A small prayer of faith could be a huge first step in moving that mountain.
Lord, I can’t move mountains. But, you can. Give me mustard seed faith that believes you can and will move my mountain by the power of your Spirit. Amen.
Something to think about ...
I have mountains to move. Yet, I’m small and weak. My strength, wisdom, and resources are limited. I can push all day. They won’t budge.
God tells Zerubabbel, “This one's on me.” You can’t make it happen. I can. The temple won’t be completed by human effort alone. It will take a supernatural work of my Spirit.
So Zerubabbel sat back and watched God rebuild the temple. No, not at all. Zerubabbel labored. He sweat. He gave the project his all. And God made it succeed:
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.
In the next verse, the Lord asks, “Who despises the day of small things?” Zerubbabel began the rebuilding project with the simple act of holding up a plumb line. The old adage rings true: A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
I confess. I have sometimes despised the day of small things. On those days, everything about my life feels small and insignificant. Give me big, bold, and splashy. Small smacks of failure. As usual, God has a different perspective. Jesus said that faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain. A mustard seed’s tiny, slightly larger than a period. God doesn't despise the day of small things. A small prayer of faith could be a huge first step in moving that mountain.
Lord, I can’t move mountains. But, you can. Give me mustard seed faith that believes you can and will move my mountain by the power of your Spirit. Amen.
Something to think about ...
- Does a mighty mountain stand before you? Start your “moving project” today with prayer. Struggling to believe? Ask God to increase your faith.
Image of mountain from: http://healingleaf.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/mountain.jpg
Image of temple from: http://larryavisbrown.homestead.com/files/OT_history/unit4/TempleCourtyardModel.jpg
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