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Zechariah 4:6 - Man's Flicker or God's Flame?Zechariah 4:6 (NIV) Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.INTRODUCTION The key words are by my Spirit. It is only through God's Spirit that anything of lasting value is accomplished. The returned exiles were indeed weak - harassed by their enemies, tired, discouraged, and poor. But they had God on their side! As you live for God, determine not to trust in your own strength or abilities. Instead, depend on God and work in the power of his Spirit. [Life Application SB 2019] COMMENTARY PEARL By The Power Of The Holy Spirit Have you ever made a bold claim, only later to be called out by a friend to actually take a step toward that claim? It can be difficult to close the gap between our intentions and our actions. We have a saying for it: "Put your money where your mouth is." When you put your faith in Jesus, you're making a bold claim with your life. You are saying that you are a new creation. But you can't stop there. You have to live it out. It's one thing to believe in Jesus, to acknowledge that He is God, and to say you're a beloved child. But it's another thing to truly back up your belief by living out those realities. If You're Truly Living In Light Of Your New Identity, Then Your Life Will Change, And You Will Lean Toward That Change In Conjunction With The Power Of The Holy Spirit Working Inside You. By Grace, You Deliberately Walk In That New Direction With Your Mind And Heart Completely And Totally Fixed On Him. How can you move from intention to action and live out your faith in Jesus today? Dear God, show me the things I need to surrender and the ways I can align my heart with Yours today. Guide me and sustain my pursuit of You. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio] COMMENTARY In the work of God, humanity can originate nothing. No man can by his own effort make himself a light bearer for God ... In the great and measureless gift of the Holy Spirit are contained all of heaven's resources. It is not because of any restriction on the part of God that the riches of His grace do not flow earthward to men. If all were willing to receive, all would become filled with His Spirit. COL 418-19 The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin; it means taking away our sins, and filling the vacuum with the graces of the Holy Spirit. It means divine illumination, rejoicing in God. It means a heart emptied of self, and blessed with the abiding presence of Christ. When Christ reigns in the soul, there is purity, freedom from sin. The glory, the fullness, the completeness of the gospel plan is fulfilled in the life. The acceptance of the Saviour brings a glow of perfect peace, perfect love, perfect assurance. COL 419-20 As activity increases, and men become successful in doing any work for God, there is danger of trusting to human plans and methods. There is a tendency to pray less, and to have less faith. Like the disciples, we are in danger of losing sight of our dependence on God, and seeking to make a Saviour of our activity. We need to look constantly to Jesus, realizing that it is His power which does the work.... While we are to labor earnestly for the salvation of the lost, we must also take time for meditation, for prayer, and for the study of the word of God. Only the work accomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient for good. DA 362 To follow Jesus requires wholehearted conversion at the start, and a repetition of this conversion every day (Letter 39, 1899). 1 BC 1113 LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Zechariah 4:6 - Man's Flicker or Gods Flame? https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20241015-1228.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220104-1033.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2017/20170630-1642.html John 3:7 - You Must Be Born Again! https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230429-0911.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230128-0904.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200518-0946.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180715-1129.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |