When God gives us a task that reaches beyond our comfort zone, we can take Zechariah 4:7 with us, exchanging Zerubbabel’s name for our own. The capstone representing the completion of the work God has given us to do.
“‘Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”‘”
Zechariah 4:7 NKJV
Also: Isaiah 41:10, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Matthew 21:18-22
“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 NKJV
We can exchange the words “might” and “power”
for whatever or whomever we are trusting in
or striving for, other than God. Or for whatever else
we wish we had or think we need to be better suited
for the work God has given us to do.
Not by eloquence nor by charm,
not by beauty nor by youth,
not by perfection nor by wit,
not by wisdom nor by will,
not by stamina nor by strength,
not by confidence nor by courage,
but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
“For who has despised the day of small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
They are the eyes of the LORD,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
Zechariah 4:10 NKJV
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong
on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”
2 Chronicles 16:9 NKJV
God is watching.
God is working.
God is pleased
with those
who depend
on Him.
Getting Christians to think highly of themselves is a devilish scheme.
How contrary to Scripture is a haughty child of God.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him
who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Isaiah 57:15 ESV
Also: Proverbs 6:16-17
A search for the truth,
apart from the Word of God,
will always lead a person
in the opposite direction.
But know this, that in the last days
perilous times will come:
For men will be….always learning
and never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 3:1,2,7 NKJV
Also: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 19:7-11
Perhaps our best prayers,
and the most pleasing to God,
are those we pray for the lost.
“For the Son of Man came
to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:10 ESV
Also: 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Live the exemplary life.
Brethren, join in following my example,
and note those who so walk,
as you have us for a pattern.
Philippians 3:17 NKJV
Also: 2 Peter 1:5-11
exemplary: deserving imitation because of excellence
For our citizenship is in heaven,
from which we also eagerly wait
for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body
that it may be conformed
to His glorious body,
according to the working by which
He is able even to subdue
all things to Himself.
Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV
Our comfort.
Our joy.
Our confidence.
Our peace.
Our hope.
Our future.
Our glory.
Our good.
Praise God!
God is intent on keeping His Word;
He always has been and always will be.
Aren’t you glad?
The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying,
“Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,
And as I have purposed, so it shall stand.”
Isaiah 14:24 NKJV
Jesus didn’t die
for an unknown, unnamed,
unnumbered group of people.
He didn’t die hoping many
would believe in Him, and
wondering who they might be.
Jesus’ death was personal.
He died for His people.
He loved them and
He died for them.
He didn’t suffer for sin
in a general sense. He suffered
for the specific sins
committed by His own children.
He loved them to death.
He knew them by name.
He died for their sin.
He chose us in Him
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy
and without blame
before Him in love,
having predestined us to adoption
as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will.
For the transgressions of My people
He was stricken.
Ephesians 1:4-5, Isaiah 53:8 NKJB
Also: Romans 8:29-30
There is only one reason a Christian
would not experience peace–
he is not fully depending on God.
When we are not at peace,
it would be wise to figure out
who or what we are trusting in,
other than, or along with, God.
“You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3 NKJV
Also: Philippians 4:4-7
God is pleased with our prayers.
He is happy to hear them.
He is eager to reward our dependence on Him.
Sometimes we forget that.
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth
to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV
Scripture focus: 2 Chronicles 16:1-9
We always work to please God,
because we always want to please the ones we love.
It’s that simple.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them,
it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be
loved by My Father, and I will love him
and manifest Myself to him.”
John 14:21 NKJV
Also: Ephesians 5:10, Matthew 25:14-30
God sometimes shows us an exaggerated demonstration of a certain sin to help us see the evil of that sin in our own lives. Even though it may be done by us on a smaller scale, in God’s eyes, evil is evil just the same.
So in one lesson we learn to forgive the one who has sinned (possible against us, surely against God), and to repent of that same sin we had been overlooking, or maybe didn’t even recognize as sin, in our own lives.
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”
2 Samuel 12:7 NKJV
Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 12:1-15
There’s a big difference between being spiritual and being scriptural.
And great danger in being one without the other.
So it’s always good to ask:
Does that teaching line up with what the Bible says?
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24 NKJV
Also: 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
Lord, please help me
to be discerning,
but not judgmental,
careful but not critical,
confident in my standing with You.
Help me to love without limits,
to speak Your truth, not my opinion,
to be open to Your leading,
but closed to every false way.
Teach me to persevere
under pressure,
to remain joyful in trials,
and to trust You
for the outcome of both.
Equip me, Lord God,
for I am Your ambassador,
with boldness and clarity,
compassion and strength,
wise teaching and clear direction.
May my works and words
glorify Your name,
even as they build up for me
eternal rewards
and treasures beyond compare.
Amen
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…
seek first the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 6:20, 33 NKJV
Sound the trumpet.
Shout and cheer.
Christ the Lord,
could come this year!
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV
Also: Acts 1:9-11
Our hope in Christ
goes beyond the grave,
and it is sure.
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent,
is destroyed, we have a building from God,
a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 5:1 NKJV
The Creator came
to save the created.
God with us,
Immanuel.
Wrapped in love,
His name is Jesus.
When God is with us,
all is well.
“For unto us a child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be
upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
My five-year-old grandson, Luke, asked me
one of the most important questions of all:
“Grandma Kathy, did you know that Jesus is God?”
It’s true.
God Himself came to earth
intent on saving His people–
we call it Christmas.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child,
and bear a Son,
and they shall call His name Immanuel,”
which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23 NKJV
