November 27th, 2025

Read: Zechariah 4:4-7 NRSV

I said to the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ Then the angel who talked with me answered me, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ I said, ‘No, my lord.’ He 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. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’

As the Israelites stared at the massive task of rebuilding the Temple, they felt small and weak. God spoke to their leader, Zerubbabel, reminding him, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” We face the same reality. We cannot restore creation, heal hearts, or build the Kingdom on human willpower alone.
Thankfully, we do not have to. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be the power behind the mission. In the Old Testament, the Spirit filled the physical Temple; now, we are the Temple. The Spirit lives in us, empowering us to love the unlovable and bring order out of chaos, just as He hovered over the waters in Genesis.

Pray: Holy Spirit, fill me afresh. I cannot build Your Kingdom in my own strength. Empower me today to act as Your hands and feet in this world.