What Are You, O Great Mountain?
Zerubbabel had his hands full. Not only had he a name that's hard to pronounce, but also an overwhelming building project. He was the new Governor of Judea, fresh from the exile in Babylon, with a commission to rebuild the temple.
Early excitement fueled a great beginning, but like on many a building site since, work soon ground to a halt. Early enthusiasm dwindled as opposition, from the people and nations round about, increased. Discouragement had struck. It became too hard. Work on God's house stopped for many years and the people instead turned to building their own houses.
So, God sent the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to encourage the people,
"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!'" (Zechariah 4: 6-7, NRSV)
God wanted Zerubbabel and the people to understand that building the temple didn't depend on their strength or ability alone. His Spirit was the power that would see it through. And when it was completed, they would recognise it was not done by their strength and power, but by the grace of God.
God's words encouraged the people and they got back to work and completed the temple with great rejoicing.
What strikes me about this story is how God's will and purpose is often greater than our ability to do it. Many times, I’ve come to the realisation that I don’t have the talent, ability or power to do what God has put on my heart to do. We are often slow and reluctant to realise this, but when we do, two roads stand before us: the road of discouragement and turning away, or the road of faith and trusting God to help us do what we can't do ourselves.
The road of discouragement is the easy and well-trodden path. If you do walk this way (and which of us hasn’t?), all is not lost for you will find, like Zerubbabel, that God will come, time and again, to encourage and draw you back. He is the God of the second chance. And the third and the forth….
Very often the walk of faith comes after the walk of discouragement. So never give up hope.
There will always be opposition. There will always be mountains in the way. There will always be giants confronting you. There will always be times when you can’t do what must be done. Or have the strength to carry on.
But neither the problems nor your inabilities need stop you. Every obstacle is an opportunity for the Spirit of God. By His Spirit mountains are flattened, obstacles are removed, lives are transformed, the impossible made possible, the broken mended and His plans and purposes fulfilled.
Understanding this can be a process though and there will be days when you need to remind yourself of it often.
Has God put something on your heart - a work, a calling, a ministry, vocation or dream? But you don't have the skills, the strength or the resources to do it and you’re either struggling with discouragement or trying to bring it about by sheer willpower and effort.
God wants to encourage you that it's not about your strength and ability alone. It's His Spirit that provides the power and help you need. When you see this, really see it, then like Zerubbabel you'll be encouraged to carry on. Your work and your life will take on a simplicity and a calm, relaxed pace which are characteristic of walking in faith.
You still work, you still do what you can, but you do so knowing that the underlying power is God's and that you’ll get to the end with cries of, "Grace, grace to it."
(David Hollis)