By My Power, not Yours

This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

As the Israelites returned to Jerusalem after seventy years in captivity, they found their city in ruins. Their magnificent temple had been destroyed. The city walls had been torn down. They had no resources to rebuild their splendid city. As these former refugees looked at the mammoth task before them, they realized their poverty and weakness, and they became greatly dismayed. Then came God's Word! He promised that they would, indeed, rebuild their city. But, He told them, the rebuilding would not be accomplished by their own power and resources but by His Spirit. There will be times when obeying God will lead you to impossible situations. If you look at your own skills, knowledge, and resources, you will become discouraged. However, when you became a Christian, God placed His Spirit within you. You now have the resources of heaven at your disposal. The success of your endeavors will not depend on the way you use your own resources but on how you obey the Spirit of God. - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day 

It is interesting that in the days in which we live, of so much surplus of plenty, that we lack so much.  

Why is this?  

The answer really is in between the lines. 

What are you divided about between you and your Savior?  What else is in your heart besides Him?  It becomes something that we drag along behind us.

Add to this it clouds our judgment without our realizing it.  We are weakened without knowing why.

Yet we are not left powerless.  Why is it?  Look at Scripture's definition. The sin that so easily entangles.  We are as distracted by glitter and fascinated by the new that sin easily entangles.

Where does this connect with Blackaby and his statements?  You cannot hold onto what you shouldn't and at the same time be praying out of want. 

He wants obedience.  Look at the Scriptures. He desires obedience over sacrifice. Discipline. Raise up a child in the way they should go and they will not depart from it.  How does that work? By denying a child what they shouldn't have and giving them what is necessary and needed for life. 

We don't need to look far to see the results of spoiled children who turn into spoiled adults.  They believe they are entitled to just about everything and don't care who has to pay for it as long as it isn't them.

Entitled people have little need for God. They might show some interest but will quickly turn away when they realize God isn't the Genie of the lamp.

Believers who mature have both been through discipline and are going through it.  They are taught what's important for life in Godliness. They learn to listen to tge Spirit of God. 

As I have shared before my letting go has opened up so much in my life that it's astounding. 

As Blackaby said there's times when obeying God will lead us to impossible situations.  What's required is obedience. 

Your situation may seem overwhelming.  But as he points out you have the resources of Heaven at your disposal. 

Obedience.  What areas of our lives are we lacking in this?  There's no such thing in God's eyes as a big or small thing in the matter of it.  Look at the Old Testament. A single little thing will find you out. 

Trust.  Your life is going to be replete with significant things to remind you later of when you trusted God. 

Your story is both unique and the same as everyone else.  Unique to you but along the same lines as everyone else's experiences.  Maybe not as heavy or as light.  But there's a story woven into it where you trusted God and obeyed and saw the results. 

If you forget, ask the Spirit to show you. 

You cannot separate your personal walk with Jesus from what you do in life, be it work, or home or wherever you go.  Jesus is always there. 

Thank Jesus this day for whatever He shows you about your relationship with God.  Pray for everyone He brings to mind. Pray for your enemies.  Ask Him to show you what needs to go away from your life.  

Be obedient. Trust Him for the strength to do so.