“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)
We falsely believe that the reason for our failure to reach our goals lies in not having enough resources. We say, “If only I had more money, or time, or energy, or help, I could accomplish what I want.” Perhaps so, when it comes to merely human goals; but concerning God’s goals, we will first need to be in His will, and then we will need His power.
God’s timing is not our timing. We are so afraid that life’s opportunities are slipping away from us. But what if we are exactly where God wants us to be? What if what He has put in our hand to do today is all that He is requiring of us? What if being anxious over nothing and holding steady in obedience is the very thing that will unfold His glorious future for us?
It has been said that worrying gets us nowhere; but that is not true. Fretting opens the door for us to move in our own power. “… Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.” (Psalm 37:8) The fear we’re doing “nothing” can cause us to do “something” in our own haste and self-will. Only in retrospect do we realize the spirit we were operating under.
Except the Lord build the house, they that labor, labor in vain. God tells us to “get to work,” but only when our labor is in Him. We don’t need more resources to get the job done. We need more patience and a greater trust in the Lord. We need a finer ability to discern between what is of our spirit and what is of His Spirit.