For Reading and Meditation:      Zechariah 4:1-14Having followed the experience of the psalmist, who was saved from a spiritual fall by thinking of his brethren, we now ask ourselves: What does all this have to say to us? I think the answer to that question must be this: to stand is more important than to understand. We said a few days ago that the psalmist took his stand at a very low level on the scale of spiritual values. The principle he followed was this: "If I spread my doubts, I will harm my brethren." I am sure you and I could think of much higher spiritual principles with which to confront ourselves when tempted. What about the principle of reminding ourselves of the blessings of God in times past? Or actually talking to ourselves in the way the psalmist did in Psalm 42:5: "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God " . The psalmist employed none of these, but the one he did employ, low as it was on the scale of spiritual values, worked. And that is the point - use everything you can to stop yourself from falling, however small or insignificant it might appear to be. We are involved in spiritual mountaineering, where sometimes the slopes are like glass. When your feet slip you must reach out and hold on to anything that will stop you in your slide - even though it be only a small branch. Stop and steady yourself. Don't concern yourself about climbing, just concern yourself with stopping your slide. Once you have stopped sliding you can then plan how to climb again. Father, I see that when I am in danger of slipping it is better to take advantage of the smallest foothold than to slide into the depths of despair. Help me grasp the full importance and value of this. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>1 Corinthians 12:21-31</li><li>Exodus 4:2</li><li>Judges 15:15</li><li>1 Samuel 17:40</li><li>1 Kings 17:12</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What are some of the insignificant things God uses in his purposes?</li><li>How does Paul put it?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"Who despises the day of small things? " (v. 10) 

This verse enshrines the important truth that the work of the Lord is not carried on by human ingenuity and strength but by the Holy Spirit.We see it in the capture of Jericho. It was not the armed might of Israel that caused the walls to fall down. The Lord was the One who delivered the city into their hands when the priests blew the trumpets seven times.If it had depended on a huge army, Gideon would never have defeated the Midianites, because his army had been thinned down to three hundred men. And their unconventional weaponry consisted of earthenware pitchers with torches inside. It could only have been the Lord who gave them the victory.Elijah purposely eliminated any possibility that human might or power might ignite the altar by pouring twelve barrels of water over it. When the fire fell, there could be no question as to its divine source.Left to human ingenuity, the disciples could fish all night but catch nothing. That provided the opportunity for the Lord to show them that they must look to Him for true effectiveness in service.It's easy for us to think that money is the greatest need in Christian service. Actually it never was and never will be. Hudson Taylor was right when he said that what we need to fear is not too little money but too much unconsecrated money.Or we resort to behind-the-scenes politicking, or to highpowered promotional programs, or to the psychological manipulation of people, or to clever oratory. We engage in vast construction programs and in organizational empire building, vainly thinking that these are the keys to success.But it is not by might or by power or by any of these things that the work of God is forwarded. It is by the Spirit of the Lord.Much so-called Christian work today would still continue if there were no Holy Spirit. But genuine Christian work is that which makes Him indispensable by waging the spiritual warfare, not with carnal weapons but with prayer, faith and the Word of God.

With reverence, humor and skill, William MacDonald wove a daily devotional tapestry that challenges the reader to think deeply and Biblically, and apply God's Word to their lives.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

"Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord." (Zechariah 4:6)

Zechariah 4:1-14The visions of Zechariah all have a meaning. This one is of a candlestick supplied by olive trees. "Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep." It is a good thing to have anyone wake us up. We ought always to be awake. We will miss a great deal if we are not. It is a good thing to be awakened by an angel. An angel's touch is soft, gentle, and inspiring. It does not rouse us roughly and rudely. It was an angel that touched Peter and awoke him when he lay sleeping in the prison, between the guards, expecting to be called to execution in the morning. The angels awake us to joy, to gladness, to beauty - not to alarms, to sorrow, to pain, to anxiety.This is a book of visions. We are not prophets, and God does not reveal His will to us as He did to Zechariah. But every earnest soul has visions, glimpses of better things, of nobler life. Whenever we ponder deeply some Word of God - there opens out in it a vision of spiritual beauty. Every time we read the biography of a noble life - we have a vision which should inspire ns to longings for like nobleness. In godly people - we have visions of qualities of character, and acts of self-denying love, which are like visions. We shall be always seeing visions if we live as we may. Heaven lies about us always, close to us; we are on its borders, and we see the rarest beauty at every turn if we will. Really it is a matter of eyes - the beauty is always there, if only we have eyes to see."What do you see?" asked the angel. We should learn to see things. The world is full of lovely objects, which only a few people really see. There are those who will walk through gardens and over fields filled with flowers and plants - and yet never see any beautiful thing that makes appeal to them, never have their souls stirred. There are those who walk under the starry skies every night through the years - and are never moved to any sense of wonder or any feeling of admiration, much less of adoration. Moses saw God in the burning bush and took off his shoes. Many people would only have seen a common bush. We should train ourselves to see nature in all its beauty of form and color - the highest beauty that is everywhere in God's works.When the angel awakened the prophet - he looked and at once saw something which caught his attention. "I have seen, and, behold, a candlestick all of gold." Every Christian should be a light - bearer. God wants us to shine. The world is dark, and we are to pour light into its darkness. There are many ways to do this. The first always is in our own life. Our character must shine. That means, to put it very simply, that we must be holy. A pure, good, loving heart - will make the light shine. Nothing but love shines. We are, therefore, to be obedient, trustful, and reverent toward God - and gentle, unselfish, kind, thoughtful, patient, and helpful toward others. The candle wastes, burns itself up, in shining. We must burn - to shine. It costs to be unselfish, patient, thoughtful, and useful. We must be forgiving; we must bear injuries; we must do good to unworthy people; we must deny ourselves and make personal sacrifices; we must be gentle and kind - when others are rude to us.As the prophet looked the vision became clear and distinct. "I see a candlestick all of gold. .. and seven lamps on it, with seven pipes to the lights. Also there are two olive trees by it." The meaning is that the lamps which burned brightly were supplied with oil - without the help of human hands - from the live olive trees through the golden pipes. The lamps themselves would not give light - they must have oil in them. They must also be continually refilled, so that they will continue to shine.Just so, our lives are only empty lamps which must be supplied with oil from Christ's own fullness. That is, we must abide in Christ - so as to receive of His life continually. We can shine - only when the oil of divine love and grace is in us."Then I asked the angel: What are these, my lord? What do they mean ?" The prophet wished to know the meaning of the vision he saw. He was of an eager, inquiring mind. He was not content to let anything pass, which he did not understand. This is a good rule for all of us. Some people get tired answering children's questions. They are annoyed by their desire to know what things are for. But children ought to ask questions. The world is all new to them. They have a right to learn what things are - and why they are. We ought to encourage a child's inquisitiveness and take delight in telling it every new thing we can. Moreover, we should be children ourselves, all through our life, in this - the desire to know the meaning of every new thing we come upon.The answer the angel gave the prophet, contained the whole wonderful meaning of the vision. "So 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 Almighty!" If the completion of the temple had depended on human might or power - it never would have been finished. The people were few, poor, and weak - and the work was great, and enemies were on every side. The temple never could have risen from amid the old ruins - if it had depended on the human might that was in the field. But it did not. God's Spirit was in the work, and there is no power in the universe that can withstand God or successfully resist Him. He could do the work with small means or with great. He could not be hindered by opposition of enemies, for He is omnipotent!It is still true in God's world, that it is not by might nor by power - but by the Holy Spirit, that things are done. God does not need human strength to work with Him; He would rather work with human weakness. When He sends us out to do anything for Him - He will always provide the means and open the way, that we may not fail - if only we trust Him. God uses little things to accomplish His great purposes. At this time the people were discouraged. It seemed that their work of building the temple could not go on. Human power was faint. The vision was a revelation of God working with His almighty power to accomplish the work. The candlesticks drew the oil from the olive trees. Human agency was unnecessary. "Not by might, nor by power - says the LORD Almighty!"Enemies were boasting - but their power would be as nothing before the strength of God. "Who are you, great mountain ? Before Zerubbabel, you shall become a plain ." Zerubbabel was God's chosen builder, and before Him all hindrances and obstacles would melt away. Zechariah was an encourager, and he was giving assurance of success in spite of all opposition. All mountains of difficulty which stand in the way of God's order - shall be leveled down by faith's advance. When we go anywhere for God - it is as if God Himself went.

A unique type of devotional from the writings of James Russell Miller, published between 1908 and 1913.

Devotional Hours Within the Bible

Zechariah 4:1-14

Power Through the Spirit

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord 
of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)

Does it not strike you as
significant, and very impressive, that when the veil was rent
Israel was set aside? Israel had been called in to maintain a
testimony in types. Christ had come and fulfilled all the types,
and being the center of all the types, the veil, all that kept
God shut off from man, was now dealt with, and the way was open.
There was no need for types now. So the custodian of the types
departs with the types. This is not the dispensation of the
types: this is the dispensation of the reality, the dispensation
of a heavenly union with a risen Lord, and of all that that
means. Our danger is of bringing back types. The types have gone
and that is the whole message of this letter to the Hebrews.
Christ is everything. The outward order of the Old Testament is
set aside, and now all that obtains is Christ Himself. He is the Priest; you no longer have priests on earth in the Old Testament
sense. He is the Sacrifice; there is no need for any other
sacrifices. He is the Tabernacle; He is the Temple; He is the
Church. 

What is the Church? It is 
Christ in living union with His own, that wheresoever two or three are gathered 
together in His name there He is in the midst. That is the Church. You do not 
build special buildings and call them "the Church." You do not have special 
organisations, religious institutions, which you call "the Church." Believers in 
living union with the risen Lord constitute the Church. This is the reality, not 
the figure. That is to say, His flesh, human limitation, is done away. Now in 
union with Christ risen all human limitations are transcended. This is one of 
the wonders of Christ risen as a living reality. We are brought into a realm of 
capacities which are more than human capacities, where, because of Christ in us, 
we can do what we never could do naturally. Our relationships are new 
relationships; they are with heaven. Our resources are new resources: they are 
in heaven. That is why the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians and said that God 
hath chosen the weak things, the foolish things. The things which are despised, 
and the things which are not, that He by them might bring to naught the 
wise, the mighty, the things which are. Why did God appoint it so? 
Because it is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit; and to show that 
there are powers, energies, abilities for His own which transcend all the 
greatest powers and abilities of this world.

This devotional contains short daily portions from a selection of Mr. Austin-Sparks' messages. In his own words, “Perhaps this is just like a window opened into heaven. If you get the right window you can see quite a lot. You can see great things and you can see far things. But the best that I can hope is that this has just opened a window, and that as you look through it you are seeing one thing - how superior is Jesus Christ to all else, and how superior is the dispensation into which we have come, and how superior are all the resources at our disposal to all that ever was before!” Open Windows messages have been selected and compiled by Austin-Sparks.Net from the works of T. Austin-Sparks. In some cases they appear in abridged form. The introductory verse and its associated Bible version have been selected by the editor and did not always appear within the original message.

Open Windows

The Risen Lord and the Things Which Cannot be Shaken - Chapter 4

 The Risen Lord 

Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has taught Him? God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. § Born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. § My Spirit remains among you; do not fear! § The battle is not yours, but God’s. The Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 “Not by might nor by power, but by MySpirit,” says the Lord of hosts. 

Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. § O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me! Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. § You know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. “Fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” §  “Be strong . . . and work; for I am with you,” says the Lord of hosts. § “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Evening Daily Light

 Strengthen me according to Your word. 

The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: “Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” § We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us. § The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. § Knowing therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Be ready in season and out of season. § Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts § [He] desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 You were like a firebrand plucked from the burning. 

When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud … a left-handed man … After him was Shamgar … who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. The Lord turned to [Gideon] and said, “Go in this might of yours. Have I not sent you?” So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me … lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’” “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. § My brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

 God has chosen the weak things of the worldto put to shame the things which are mighty. 

In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. § A stone … cut out without hands. § “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. § The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you. To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God …The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how … But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!”

 Your kingdom come. 

<blockquote>
Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" (<a id="verse_1632880326841589" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Zechariah/4/6">Zech. 4:6</a>).
</blockquote>Our Father allows us to be independent until by that means we come to know our own weakness and need. "Strength is always the effect of having to do with God in the spirit of dependence.""Some say, I want to feel that I am strong.' What we need is to feel that we are weak; this brings in Omnipotence. We shall have a life of feeling by-and-by in the glory; now we are called upon to lead a life of faith. What believer but knows from the experience of the deceitfulness of his own heart, that, had we power in ourselves instead of in Christ, we should be something. This is what God does not intend.""The very essence of the condition of a soul in a right state is conscious dependence. Now one may use the fact of completeness in Christ to make one independent. Two things are implied in dependence: first, the sense that we cannot do without God in a single instance; and, secondly, that He is for us.' In other words, there is confidence in His love and power on our behalf, as well as the consciousness that without Him we can do nothing." -J.N.D."We are to walk humbly and lean ever and only on the mighty arm of the living God. Thus the soul is kept in a well-balanced condition, free from self-confidence and fleshly excitement, on the one hand; and free from gloom and depression, on the other. If we can do nothing, self-confidence is the height of presumption. If God can do everything, despondency is the height of folly.""But my God shall supply all your need according; to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (<a id="verse_1632880326585538" href="https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/Philippians/4/19">Phil. 4:19</a>).

A 365 day devotional that will help you in your Christian growth and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  This devotional is a collection of quotes from some of the best authors in the realm of Christian growth that has been organized by Miles J Stanford.  This devotional study is divided into 12 sections each containing 31 daily portions.

None but the Hungry Heart

 Reliant Rest 

6 So 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 Almighty.

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:<cr>1</cr> ‘Not<cr>2</cr> by might nor by power,<cr>3</cr> but by my Spirit,’<cr>4</cr> says the Lord Almighty.

Zechariah 4:6

 6 So 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 Almighty.

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 So 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 Almighty.

So 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 Almighty.

 So 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 Almighty.

Bible Verse of the Day

September 27, 2019

Zechariah 4:6 NIV

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