Dawn 2 Dusk When Oil, Not Effort, Keeps the Lamp BurningZechariah’s word comes to a weary builder staring at a mountain of obstacles. God doesn’t dismiss the work or minimize the resistance—He simply redirects the source of strength. The point isn’t that effort is useless, but that human ability can never be the engine of God’s purposes. Not by Muscle, but by Breath “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of Hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6) God names what we instinctively trust: might, power, strategies, and sheer determination. Then He lovingly takes it out of our hands. The rebuilding would happen, but not because Zerubbabel could outwork the opposition—it would happen because God’s Spirit would supply what no leader can manufacture. That same recalibration is freedom for you today. Jesus put it plainly: “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) “Nothing” doesn’t mean you can’t stay busy; it means you can’t produce lasting fruit without living dependence. The Spirit doesn’t just help your strength—He replaces your self-reliance with God-reliance. The Mountain in Front of You Isn’t Final Right after this promise, God talks about the obstacle like it’s scenery, not destiny: “What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.” (Zechariah 4:7) The mountain may be a financial knot, a family tension, a stubborn habit, a calling that feels too big, or a door that won’t open. The Spirit’s presence doesn’t always remove the climb instantly, but it does settle the outcome: God is not intimidated by what intimidates you. And the way He levels mountains often looks like weakness to the world. Paul learned to stop pleading for a life that required no dependence, because Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Weakness becomes a meeting place, not a dead end. When you admit, “Lord, I can’t,” you’re finally positioned to see what He can. Do the Next Faithful Thing, Spirit-Filled Depending on the Spirit is not passive—it’s personal. It means you pray before you push, listen before you speak, and obey before you optimize. God doesn’t merely give directions; He gives power for the directions. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13) He supplies both the desire and the doing when you yield to Him. So take the next step with Him, not ahead of Him. Scripture’s daily pathway is simple and strong: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) Today, choose one concrete act of obedience—make the hard apology, speak truth with gentleness, refuse the secret compromise, serve when no one claps—and ask the Spirit to energize it. His power is not for performance; it’s for faithfulness. Father, thank You that Your Spirit accomplishes what my strength cannot; help me rely on You today and obey the next step You put in front of me, for Your glory. Amen. Evening with A.W. Tozer Our Faith Reflects Our Concept of GodAll things else being equal, the destiny of a man or nation may safely be predicted from the idea of God which that man or that nation holds. No nation can rise higher than its conception of God. While Rome held to her faith in the stern old gods of the Pantheon she remained an iron kingdom. Her citizens unconsciously imitated the character of her gods, however erroneous their conception of the Deity might have been. When Rome began to think loosely about God she began to rot inwardly, and that rot never stopped till it brought her to the ground. So it must always be with men and nations. A church is strong or weak just as it holds to a high or low idea of God. For faith rests not primarily upon promises, but upon character. A believer's faith can never rise higher than his conception of God. A promise is never better or worse than the character of the one who makes it. An inadequate conception of God must result in a weak faith, for faith depends upon the character of God just as a building rests upon its foundation. This explains why unbelief is such a grievous sin; it is pure libel against the Lord of heaven and earth. Unbelief judges God to be unworthy of confidence and withholds its trust from Him. Can there be a more heinous sin than this? He that believeth not God hath made him a liar? (1 John 5:10). Our hearts shrink from the full implications of such a statement, but would not this seem to teach that unbelief attributes to God the character of Satan? Jesus said of Satan, He is a liar and the father of it. Unbelief says virtually the same thing of God. Music For the Soul The Ultimate Purpose of God’s WordThese are they which bear witness of Me; and ye will not come to Me, that ye may have life. - John 5:39-40 Scripture is not given to us merely to make us know something about God in Christ, nor only in order that we may have faith in the Christ thus revealed to us, but for a further end - great, glorious, but, blessed be His Name! not distant - namely, that we may "have life in His Name." "Life" is deep, mystical, inexplicable by any other words than itself. It includes pardon, holiness, well-being, immortality. Heaven; but it is more than they all. This life comes into our dead hearts, and quickens them by union with God. That which is joined to God lives. Union with Christ in His Sonship will bring life into dead hearts. He is the true Prometheus that has come from Heaven with fire, the fire of the Divine Life in the reed of His humanity; and He imparts it to us all if we will. He lays Himself upon us, as the prophet laid himself on the little child in the upper chamber; and lip to lip, and beating heart to dead heart. He touches our death, and it is quickened into life. And the condition on which that great Name will bring to us life is simply our faith. If you trust Him as the Son of God who comes down to earth that we in Him might have the immortal life He is ready to give, then the end that God has in view in all His revelation, that Christ had in view in His bitter Passion, has been accomplished for you. If you do not, it has not. You may admire Him, you may think loftily of Him, you may be ready to call Him by many great and appreciative names, but oh! unless you have learned to see in Him the Divine Saviour of your souls, you have not seen what God means you to see. But if you have, then all other questions about this Book, important as they are in their places, may settle themselves as they will; you have got the kernel, the thing that it was meant to bring you. Many an erudite scholar that has studied the Bible all his life has missed the purpose for which it was given; and many a poor old woman in her garret has found it. It is not meant to be wrangled over, it is not meant to be read as an interesting product of the religious consciousness, it is not to be admired as a specimen of the literature of a nation that had a genius for religion, but it is to be taken as being God’s great Word to the world, the record of the revelation that He has given us in His Son. The Eternal Word is the theme of all the written Word. Have you made the jewel which is brought us in that casket your own? Is Jesus to you the Son of the living God, believing on whom you share His life, and become sons of God by Him? Can you take on to your thankful lips that triumphant and rapturous confession of the doubling Thomas - the flag flying on the completed roof-tree of this Gospel - "My Lord and my God "? If you can, you will receive the blessing which Christ then promised to all of us standing beyond the limits of that little group, " who have not seen and yet have believed " - even that eternal life which flows into our dead spirits from the Christ, the Son of God, who is the Light of the world and the Life of men. Spurgeon: Morning and Evening 1 Samuel 1:27 For this child I prayed. Devout souls delight to look upon those mercies which they have obtained in answer to supplication, for they can see God's especial love in them. When we can name our blessings Samuel, that is, "asked of God," they will be as dear to us as her child was to Hannah. Peninnah had many children, but they came as common blessings unsought in prayer: Hannah's one heaven-given child was dearer far, because he was the fruit of earnest pleadings. How sweet was that water to Samson which he found at "the well of him that prayed!" Quassia cups turn all waters bitter, but the cup of prayer puts a sweetness into the draughts it brings. Did we pray for the conversion of our children? How doubly sweet, when they are saved, to see in them our own petitions fulfilled! Better to rejoice over them as the fruit of our pleadings than as the fruit of our bodies. Have we sought of the Lord some choice spiritual gift? When it comes to us it will be wrapped up in the gold cloth of God's faithfulness and truth, and so be doubly precious. Have we petitioned for success in the Lord's work? How joyful is the prosperity which comes flying upon the wings of prayer! It is always best to get blessings into our house in the legitimate way, by the door of prayer; then they are blessings indeed, and not temptations. Even when prayer speeds not, the blessings grow all the richer for the delay; the child Jesus was all the more lovely in the eyes of Mary when she found him after having sought him sorrowing. That which we win by prayer we should dedicate to God, as Hannah dedicated Samuel. The gift came from heaven, let it go to heaven. Prayer brought it, gratitude sang over it, let devotion consecrate it. Here will be a special occasion for saying, "Of thine own have I given unto thee." Reader, is prayer your element or your weariness? Which? Spurgeon: Faith’s Checkbook The Reason for SingingThat a Word is this! Jehovah God in the center of His people in all the majesty of His power! This presence alone suffices to inspire us with peace and hope. Treasures of boundless might are stored in our Jehovah, and He dwells in His church; therefore may His people shout for joy. We not only have His presence, but He is engaged upon His choice work of salvation. "He will save." He is always saving: He takes His name of Jesus from it. Let us not fear any danger, for He is mighty to save. Nor is this all. He abides evermore the same, He saves, He finds rest in loving, He will not cease to love. His love gives Him joy. He even finds a theme for song in His beloved. This is exceedingly wonderful. When God wrought creation He did not sing but simply said, "It is very good"; but when He came to redemption, then the sacred Trinity felt a joy to be expressed in song, Think of it, and be astonished! Jehovah Jesus sings a marriage song over His chosen bride. She is to Him His love, His joy, His rest, His song. O LORD Jesus, by Thine immeasurable love to us teach us to love Thee, to rejoice in Thee, and to sing unto Thee our life-psalm. The Believer’s Daily Remembrancer Sin Shall Not Have Dominion Over YouWHAT a precious promise. How many of the Lord’s people have been cheered and encouraged by it. Sin lives in us, works in us, fights in us, but it shall not reign. It may annoy, it shall not destroy. Its authority is destroyed by the Lord; its power is weakened by grace; it is warned to quit its old residence, and it will soon be ejected. We are not under the condemning power of the law, it is not our rule of justification, but we are under favour; God dealeth with us as with children. He pardons, pities, and delivers us. He will not allow sin to hold us in perpetual bondage, or to condemn us at the last day; but He will set us at liberty, and justify us fully. The flesh will lust against the Spirit, corruption will rise and fight; but we shall be strengthened, assisted, and counselled until we finally overcome. Grace shall reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord. The law will be honoured in our endless blessedness, and Jesus will be glorified in us throughout eternity. By grace we are saved. On such love, my soul, still ponder, Love so great, so rich, so free! Say, while lost in holy wonder, Why, O Lord, such love to me Hallelujah, Grace shall reign eternally. Bible League: Living His Word "... For the battle is not yours, but God's."— 2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV In this life, there are battles of many different kinds. The battle referred to in our verse for today was a military battle, but not every battle in life is military. There can be personal battles, educational battles, economic battles, political battles, religious battles, and other kinds as well. All of them, however, are spiritual battles at the foundation. The Apostle Paul tells us that our struggles in life, our battles, are "not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). For the Christian, every battle is ultimately a spiritual battle against Satan and his henchmen. Although all these conflicts are ultimately spiritual battles, there is the temptation to take them as mere flesh and blood battles. After all, we can see flesh and blood, and so we can be tempted to think that's all there is to them. When we do this, however, we fool ourselves and what we actually do is fight the battles in the wrong power. What we should do, instead, is fight our battles with the power of God. What we should do is seek God and His strength for our battles. That's what Jehoshaphat did in the context of our verse. When the Moabites and their allies attacked Judah, Jehoshaphat's first response was to call for a fast and to cry out to God (2 Chronicles 20:3). When he did, God responded with the words of our verse for today. God assured him that the battle was His. The same goes for your battles, whatever kind they may be. If you call out to God, they'll become His battles, not yours. Indeed, Jehoshaphat and his army didn't even have to fight the battle that day (2 Chronicles 20:17). But even if you have to actually fight a battle, just as David had to actually fight Goliath, the battle will still be God's, not yours. For He will be with you and He will be fighting for you. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 121:1,2 A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? • My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.Psalm 125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. Psalm 123:1,2 A Song of Ascents. To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens! • Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us. Psalm 63:7 For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. 2 Chronicles 20:12 "O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." Psalm 25:15 My eyes are continually toward the LORD, For He will pluck my feet out of the net. Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 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. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.Insight Most of us have learned how to pretend to love others—how to speak kindly, avoid hurting their feelings, and appear to take an interest in them. We may even be skilled in pretending to feel moved with compassion when we hear of others' needs, or to become indignant when we learn of injustice. But God calls us to real and sincere love that goes far beyond pretense and politeness. Sincere love requires concentration and effort. It means helping others become better people. It demands our time, money, and personal involvement. No individual has the capacity to express love to a whole community, but the body of Christ in your town does. Challenge Look for people who need your love, and look for ways you and your fellow believers can love your community for Christ. Devotional Hours Within the Bible Jesus Before PilateIt was early in the morning. There was special hurry that day, for the rulers wanted to get their business out of the way, because of the approaching feast. The trials before the high priest and religious council, preceded that before the governor. The rulers, when they could find absolutely nothing against Jesus, had sought to make out their case by bringing in hired false witnesses. But even this testimony fell to the ground no two of the witnesses agreeing. The only hope was to compel Jesus to convict Himself by some word He might speak. He stood silent, however, before them, until the high priest adjured Him to answer whether He were the Christ or not. Then He could be silent no longer. On this admission, the sentence of condemnation was passed by the Sanhedrin. This was as far as the council could go. They must wait now for the approval of their sentence by the Roman governor. Pilate was the one man in all the world who could give the final word with regard to the sentencing of Jesus. This put upon him a fearful responsibility. While Jesus was standing before Pilate, apparently to be tried by him, Pilate himself was really on trial before Jesus, and in the light of His holy face the character of the Roman governor was plainly revealed. Pilate was deeply impressed by his prisoner. He was convinced of His innocence. He wanted to set Him free. But he had not the courage to oppose the religious rulers, and so he let them have their way and sent Jesus to His cross, even against his own conscience, and in spite of the pathetic pleadings of his wife! “To avoid ceremonial uncleanness, the Jews did not enter the palace.” John 18:28. The religious rulers carried their pious scruples even to the palace of Pilate. Amazingly, they had no scruples about their wicked treatment of an innocent man but they were scrupulously conscientious about matters of mere ceremonial requirement! They would not set their feet on the Gentile’s floor for that would have defiled them! Yet meanwhile their hearts were full of evil and murderous thoughts and resolves! There will always be people who are most punctilious in their religious rituals but who in practical life, are little better than heathen! We should learn well, that God is grieved more by our bitter feeling, our lack of love, our hate and envy than He is with little omissions in religious ceremonies and formalities. When the rulers had presented Jesus to Pilate, he wanted to know what the charges against their prisoner were. He asked them, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” Jesus could not be put to death without Pilate’s sentence. It was only fair, therefore, that he should ask His accusers what their charge against Him was. No man ever should be condemned without a trial. We have a right to ask the same question now, of those who reject Christ. What wrong has He done? What faults have you found in His character? Whom has He injured? The rulers attempted no answer to Pilate’s question; indeed, no answer was possible, for no accusation could be brought against Him. It would have been easy to bring a thousand witnesses to testify to the good things Jesus had done the works of mercy, the deeds of kindness, the miracles of compassion; but in all the country not one person could have been found to testify to the smallest wrong thing that He had ever done to any being! His life had been a perpetual blessing wherever He had gone. His lips had ever been speaking words of comfort and love. He was hurried to death by men’s hate, without reason or charge of any kind. The rulers assumed an air of dignity, in answer to Pilate’s demand to know what charge they brought against Jesus, saying that if He were not an evildoer, they would not have brought Him before Pilate. Their bearing was haughty, and Pilate was offended by it. “Take Him and judge Him according to your law.” As Pagan as Pilate was, and heartless the presence of Jesus before him as prisoner, filled his heart with dread. There was something about this prisoner which awed him. Ordinarily he cared nothing for justice but now he sought to evade the responsibility of sentencing this man. Instead of refusing to have anything to do with the sentencing of an innocent man, Pilate sought all that morning by evasion, simply to get clear of the case. Each time, however, Jesus came back and stood before him, waiting for His decision. So the scene closed, and Jesus was sent to His cross. In a little while Pilate fell into disgrace and committed suicide in his exile. When he went into the eternal world and found himself before the throne of the judge into whose eyes did the guilty Roman governor look? What a reversal there was! Once Pilate was judge and Jesus stood at his bar; now Jesus is judge and Pilate is before Him! In like manner, Jesus waits before every sinner, meek and lowly, with love and mercy, asking to be received. The scene will soon change, however, and those who reject Him here will stand before Him as their omnipotent Judge! If Jesus had been put to death under the Jewish law, it would have been by stoning. But again and again He had foretold that He would be lifted up, implying that He would die on a cross. Thus, unconsciously, the rulers were fulfilling our Lord’s own prophecy regarding Himself. God keeps His hand on all events. In all the surging waves of the sea not one drop of water ever rushes beyond the leash of His control. In all the turmoil of human events no one ever gets beyond God’s control. The whole fearful chapter of wickedness enacted around Christ’s cross, even the most minute particular, was the fulfillment of prophecies made long before. We need never fear that the affairs of this world shall get beyond God’s control. We never can drift beyond His love and care. A little bird built its nest under the iron track of a railroad. Day and night the heavy trains thundered along, with their terrific noise but the little bird was not disturbed, and sat there in quiet peace, rearing her little ones in safety. Just so, amid this world’s danger and rushing noise, a believer in God may rest in quiet confidence, undisturbed, undismayed. There certainly seemed nothing kingly about Jesus at that time at least in an earthly sense. He stood there, bound and suffering, with no followers, no friends, with neither throne nor scepter nor crown, with not even a place to lay His head. Little wonder is there that Pilate’s question was put in tones of such surprise, “Are You a king?” Yet Jesus was (and still is) King! He is King of all angels and of all men. Kingliness does not consist in purple robes, crowns of gold, and the pageantry of earthly honor. We have but to follow the account of this trial through to the end to see in this lowly, despised Man the highest type of kingliness. Study His bearing His calm dignity, His gentle patience, His quiet self-control, His majestic silence under wrong and insult. While we look with love at Jesus so kingly amid all the scenes of His humiliation, let us take a lesson for ourselves. Let us learn to be patient under wrong and injury, to be gentle and uncomplaining in the rudest and most unjust treatment! Pilate sought again to be rid of the responsibility of sentencing Jesus to the cross, by getting the people to choose Him as the one man to be set free at that feast. But in this, too, Pilate failed. “No, not Him! Give us Barabbas!” they shouted. They had their choice between Jesus the holy, the pure, the sinless Son of God and Barabbas, the bandit, robber, murderer. And they chose Barabbas for liberty and life and sent Jesus to death on the cross! We all agree in our condemnation of the rulers. But let us not forget that to every one of us a like choice comes. There are but two masters in the world Christ and Satan. Both ask our allegiance, our obedience. We must make a choice we cannot be neutral, for no man can serve two masters. In choosing Barabbas the Jews sent Jesus to a cross! He who rejects Christ now crucifies Him afresh and counts His blood an unholy thing! Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEcclesiastes 7, 8, 9 Ecclesiastes 7 -- A good name is better than fine perfume NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 8 -- "Keep the king's command!" because of the oath to God. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ecclesiastes 9 -- All things come alike to all. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 2 Corinthians 11 -- Paul Defends His Apostleship; Paul's Sufferings NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. |
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