Hello Friend,
Zerubbabel was given the responsibility of rebuilding the new Temple in Jerusalem. Many of the older Jews were disheartened when they saw this new Temple would not match the size and splendor of the previous Temple built during King Solomon’s reign. The Lord spoke to Zechariah, the prophet, and said “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit. Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way” (verse 6).
How does this scripture speak to your heart? It is not your responsibility to build a temple. Really? Listen to what Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 3:16. “You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple” (Message).
You are given the responsibility of building the temple. Have you laid the foundation? You need to begin somewhere and small beginnings are ok. God will be delighted to see the work begin. Perhaps you need to pick a church and make a commitment to attend regularly. Do you have a special prayer time set aside each day? Are you faithful in reading Scripture? We all want to have a faith that will move mountains—a faith that will support us when life brings us a Mount Everest. Yet, we are often consumed with building our stock portfolio, with pumping up our resume, with creating a lifestyle that our paycheck can’t support. But we cannot force or muster enough strength to maintain these outward manifestations of wealth. It is God who promotes and in due season, he will reward the faithful. In our small beginnings, we are developing character and laying the foundation for future promotions. Too often people become famous or achieve career goals and their character cannot sustain them. You have seen their fall in the news. A Chinese Proverb reads, “The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” So, get your pick and shovel and start the process of building your temple. God is watching and is cheering you on in your efforts.
Prayer: Lord, remove my hardhat of stubbornness and allow your Spirit to infuse my mind. Make your home in my heart, I pray.
Becoming a good architect by following God’s blueprints. Linda