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Sunday, February 5, 2012

One Minute Devotion: Zechariah 4:6

Zecharaiah 4:6

Then He answered and spake unto me saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power. but by my spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts.

This is another of the most misinterpreted and misused verses in the bible. Many have mistaken this passage as a blanket statement that whatever we may want or need, God will give. Others present this as the ultimate battle cry for Christians, to charge into any conflict they deem appropriate, no matter what the circumstance or outcome, depending on God's power to bail them out. Both would be inappropriate. Zechariah was a priest and prophet who served a dual purpose as an oracle of the Lord. First, to encourage the Israelites to rebuild the temple. Second, to reveal the glory of God. Zechariah was the one prophet who focused solely on the purpose and ministry of the coming Messiah. He proclaimed to the people that they were instruments in God's program of glory, both present and future. With all of that in mind, this passage states simply when God has a plan it always works, and its entire design is based in His glory. Heaven forbid we glorify someone other than ourselves. In this society, the mere idea that God would do things for His glory alone seems selfish and useless to us. We grow more and more into a culture that seeks our needs first and our own righteousness ignoring the consequence of the acts that will be added unto us. If you doubt that point just watch the plethora of reality or morning self help shows that saturate the airways. Even worse, is how the church has evolved. We have moved from teachings focused on a people desperate to find salvation and deep relationship with the author of their souls, to the sole purpose of filling pews utilizing pop religion, prosperity doctrines, preaching Christianity as more of a philosophy than life giving theology, or ignoring sin and its effects altogether.  If the idea of putting God first, you last, and surrendering your whole life to glorifying the Lord in every aspect of your existence is offensive, then Christianity is not for you. That may be a bold and harsh statement, but it is absolute truth. If it is all about you, how will you have any room in your life for God? We are to be useful vessels of our God, not perfect, just perfectly willing. In Zechariah's time, Israel had been beaten, bruised, and abused due to their selfish rebellion against the Lord of All and all the ways He had blessed them. God did not give up on them but placed them in that turmoil to open their eyes and hearts to the undeniable truth that they needed to return to and serve Him.  God's plan is the only plan.  Their repentance led to deliverance, their deliverance led to the rebuilding of a nation, and from that nation came the deliverer of all nations. Zechariah encouraged them by letting them know that not because of anyone's might or so called power, but all good things are provided by the sheer will of God.  Nothing can stand against His agenda.  There is no power in heaven and earth that can move His hand. No matter how grim things may seem or how difficult times become, God's plan is unhindered. We may not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it is there, shining in a way we will may never have anticipated. Remember, many times God constructs that very tunnel or directs us to travel through it. Why? He does so to refine us, strengthen us, and draw us deeper to Him. To develop us into the people, He knows we can be.  The people He created us to be. Why? Our success in Him, growth with Him, and lives dedicated to Him, all glorifies Him. It always comes full circle. Zechariah's very name means Yahweh (God) remembers. We are always on His mind.  We are most important to Him because our mere conception glorifies Him. When we are obedient to Him and following His plan by His spirit we will succeed. When we run outside of His purposes we will fail, sometimes hard, so that God can lead us back to Him and His glory will be, again, fulfilled. Why does God deserve all the glory? Who else would? He is the creator of all, craftsman of our souls, architect of the natural and supernatural universe, and author of all truth. With just that said, it negates even the question. For the prideful and self centered who will fruitlessly question further no answer will ever suffice. For those who understand, that without God, there is no life and meaning for anything, glorifying God is a willing lifelong process. What side do you fall on? God bless.

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