Bible League: Living His Word "What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'"Zerubbabel, the leader of the people of Judah, had a great task to perform. After he led the first exiles back from the Babylonian captivity, he was called by God to begin the re-building of the temple in Jerusalem. In the first two years the foundation of the temple was laid, but then work came to a standstill for 17 years because of the disruptive activity of the Samaritan people. Our verse for today is part of a prophetic message Zechariah received from an angel concerning the completion of Zerubbabel's temple project. The angel's message still speaks to us today. Like Zerubbabel, you may have been called by God to do something in the Kingdom of God and you may have gotten the project off the ground and up and running. Also like Zerubbabel, however, your own personal version of the Samaritan people may have placed a seemingly insurmountable mountain before you and things may have come to a screeching halt. The angel's message to you today is that the mighty mountain is really nothing at all. Before you, as before Zerubbabel, the mighty mountain will become nothing more than level ground. Although it looks insurmountable, impassible, and immoveable, God himself is with you, and He will help you to overcome. Go forth, continue the project, and complete the task, for the Lord will remove the obstacles, eliminate the difficulties, and overcome the opposition. What seemed impossible will become possible. The project won't succeed because of anyone's might or power, but because of the very Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6). Further, the angel's message is that a day is coming when your task will be completed. Then, just as Zerubbabel placed the capstone on the temple, so you will place the finishing touches on the project. Your friends and fellow workers will celebrate with shouts of praise and worship. Because you looked to the Lord in your time of trouble, everything will be fulfilled and you will be blessed. If you have begun the task God has called you to do, then the message of His angel to you today is to look to Him and go forth and finish the task---for it can only be accomplished by you. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 50, 51, 52 Psalm 50 -- The Mighty One calls the earth from sunrise to sunset. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 51 -- David's Psalm of Repentance (2Sa 12) NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 52 -- David's Psalm Fleeing Saul (1Sa 21) NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 27:1-25 Acts 27 -- Paul Sails for Rome; Storm and Shipwreck NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?”Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can't be detected by visible signs. You won't be able to say, ‘Here it is!' or ‘It's over there!' For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” Insight The Pharisees asked when God's kingdom would come, not knowing that it had already arrived. The kingdom of God is not like an earthly kingdom with geographical boundaries. Instead, it begins with the work of God's Spirit in people's lives and in relationships. Challenge Still today we must resist looking to institutions or programs for evidence of the progress of God's kingdom. Instead, we should look for what God is doing in people's hearts. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Romans 8:33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?Most blessed challenge! How unanswerable it is! Every sin of the elect was laid upon the great Champion of our salvation, and by the atonement carried away. There is no sin in God's book against his people: he seeth no sin in Jacob, neither iniquity in Israel; they are justified in Christ forever. When the guilt of sin was taken away, the punishment of sin was removed. For the Christian there is no stroke from God's angry hand--nay, not so much as a single frown of punitive justice. The believer may be chastised by his Father, but God the Judge has nothing to say to the Christian, except "I have absolved thee: thou art acquitted." For the Christian there is no penal death in this world, much less any second death. He is completely freed from all the punishment as well as the guilt of sin, and the power of sin is removed too. It may stand in our way, and agitate us with perpetual warfare; but sin is a conquered foe to every soul in union with Jesus. There is no sin which a Christian cannot overcome if he will only rely upon his God to do it. They who wear the white robe in heaven overcame through the blood of the Lamb, and we may do the same. No lust is too mighty, no besetting sin too strongly entrenched; we can overcome through the power of Christ. Do believe it, Christian, that thy sin is a condemned thing. It may kick and struggle, but it is doomed to die. God has written condemnation across its brow. Christ has crucified it, "nailing it to his cross." Go now and mortify it, and the Lord help you to live to his praise, for sin with all its guilt, shame, and fear, is gone. "Here's pardon for transgressions past, It matters not how black their cast; And, O my soul, with wonder view, For sins to come here's pardon too." Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 18:39 For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.2 Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Chronicles 14:11 Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You." 2 Chronicles 18:31 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel," and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him. Psalm 118:8,9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man. • It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes. Psalm 33:16,17 The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength. • A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Ephesians 6:12,13 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. • Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. 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