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 (Zech 4:6).

    Happy New Year and congratulations to all my readers on your successful exit from year 2020 and consequent entry into year 2021. Thank God for the privilege to see the new year. It is a demonstration of His mercy towards us. It is, therefore, important for us to take note of a few things concerning this Divine privilege.
    First and foremost, like Zerubbabel, we need to know that the fact that God has graciously brought us into a new year, shows that He has plans for our lives—things He intends to accomplish through us. Zerubbabel was the governor of Judea in the days of Israel’s captivity. God assigned him the responsibility of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Like him, God has assigned us responsibilities in this year. We ought to find out what they are. God will be pleased to reveal them to us, if we seek Him (Jer 33:3). We should not adopt a lackadaisical attitude towards discovering God’s purposes for our lives this year.
    The second thing we need to note is that assignments from God can only be effectively accomplished by His provision of resources. Sometimes we think all we need to know is what God wants done. However, how He wants it done is just as important. Moses knew God had destined him to deliver Israel from bondage in Egypt. But he made the mistake of looking to his own resources. Probably he thought that his physical strength was to play a prominent role in the process, hence his killing of the Egyptian slave driver. However, God had a different plan. No wonder the Bible says: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.” (Isa 58:8). Moses was to realise, eventually, how hopelessly inadequate his natural abilities were. That was the mistake God wanted to prevent Zerubbabel from making when He specifically said, “…not by might nor by power…”(Zech 4:6). Remember, what was written about Zerubbabel is for our admonition (1Cor 10:11). We should not let the devil seduce us into substituting our natural abilities for God’s.
    In His faithfulness, God showed  Zerubbabel the only acceptable means of undertaking assignments from Him—by His Spirit. This is the next thing we would do well to remember. God’s word to Zerubbabel: “not by might nor by power” is a timeless principle of effective service in the kingdom of God. No attempt or effort made to serve God in whatever capacity has eternal significance if it is not done by the HolySpirit. Like Zerubbabel, God wants us to rely on His Spirit for power to successfully accomplish our assignments in this year. Now, it is important not to think of your assignment from God as only those responsibilities you take care of in your local church. Your Divinely assigned responsibilities extend beyond your local church to every area of your life. In effect, you need the help of the HolySpirit in your role as a father, mother, student or classroom teacher as much as you do as a pastor, deacon chorester or usher in your local church.
    Finally, we need to know how important it is for us to know who the HolySpirit is, His role in our lives  and how to relate with Him. This should be the logical thing to do, in view of what God has revealed through Zechariah 4:6 about the indispensable role of His Spirit in our effectiveness at serving Him. For information on the HolySpirit, kindly refer to my last post entitled: The Person Of The HolySpirit. Shalom.