12月9日
标 题：不靠势力
经 节：他对我说：“这是耶和华指示所罗巴伯的。万军之耶和华说：不是倚靠势力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠我的灵方能成事。”（撒迦利亚书四章6节）
在关键时刻中，神的话语临到祂的百姓。他们当时是一群沮丧、被人恐吓、梦想幻灭的人。他们流浪在巴比伦有七十年之久，在这段时间，他们亲眼看见当代最具优势的军事武力，也看到巴比伦军队征服其它国家，见识到巴比伦王的富强与显赫。后来，巴比伦被波斯征服，以色列人看到世界舞台上，出现了超级富强与军事武力强盛的国家。当他们将自己软弱及俘虏的身分，与当代超级富强的能力比较，他们灰心沮丧。
当以色列人在七十年被俘之后回到耶路撒冷，他们发现整个城市已被蹂躏毁坏。他们庄严华丽的教堂也被摧毁，城墙都已倒塌，他们没有建材来重建壮丽的城市。当这些过去曾是难民的居民，看到眼前这个巨大的工程，他们意识到自己的贫穷及软弱，他们变得十分沮丧。接着，神的话就临到了！祂应许他们真的能够重建这个城市。但是祂告诉他们，这不是靠他们的能力及资源来完成，而是靠圣灵成事。只要他们有神的灵同在，他们就拥有所需要的一切。
有时候，顺服神会领你到一种看来完全不可能的处境。如果只注意自己的才能、知识和资源，你会灰心沮丧。然而，当你成为基督徒，神将祂的灵放置于你的心里。你现在可以随意使用天堂的资源。你竭心尽力的成果，不是取决于手上握有的资源，而在于你如何顺服神的灵。
Not by
Might
“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’s
word came to His people at a critical time. They were a despondent,
disillusioned people who faced a daunting task. They had been exiled in Babylon
for seventy years. During this time they had witnessed the strength of the most
dominant military power in their world. They had watched the Babylonian army
marching off to conquer other nations. They had seen the wealth and splendor of
the Babylonian king. When Babylon was in turn conquered by the Persians, the
Israelites saw an even greater superpower emerging on the world stage. They
lost heart when they compared their own weakness and captivity with the enormous
strength and wealth of the superpowers of their day.
As
the Israelites returned to Jerusalem after seventy years in captivity, they
found their city in ruins. Their magnificent temple had been destroyed. The
city walls had been torn down. They had no resources to rebuild their splendid
city. As these former refugees looked at the mammoth task before them, they
realized their poverty and weakness, and they became greatly dismayed. Then
came God’s word! He promised that they would, indeed, rebuild their city. But,
He told them, the rebuilding would not be accomplished by their own power and
resources but by His Spirit. As long as they had God’s Spirit, they had
everything they needed.
There
will be times when obeying God will lead you to impossible situations. If you
look at your own skills, knowledge, and resources, you will become discouraged.
However, when you became a Christian, God placed His Spirit within you. You now
have the resources of heaven at your disposal. The success of your endeavors
will not depend on the way you use your own resources but on how you obey the
Spirit of God.
