Sept 15th
Bible Text:
Zechariah 4
Ezra 4-6
Zechariah 4:6
Zechariah 4: 5-7
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6 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.
7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Substitute
1.a person or thing acting or serving in place of another
2. a sports player nominated as eligible to replace another after a match has begun.
use or add in place of.
3. replace (a sports player) with a substitute during a match.
Submission to God’s will can be undermined as we rely on our own strength. It also is possible to rely on other substitutes for God.
When some people feel depressed, they go shopping for something to make them happy.
When some feel inadequate, they pursue fame.
When others have difficulties with their spouse, they look for someone else to give them intimacy and excitement.
Many of the things we use can relieve the pressure, but they do not necessarily solve the problem or teach us how to handle the situation better the next time. Only supernatural help from God can do that.
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The problem is that many times we depend on substitutes for God rather than on God Himself.
Here are three substitutes that we may use instead of God:
1. We use human logic or past experience when we need fresh divine revelation
2. We block problems from our minds when we need divine solutions.
3. We escape reality and avoid God when we need communion with Him for divine power.
Zechariah helps us to focus on what really matters when we are tempted to use substitutes.
After many years away, the exiles finally returned from Babylon and immediately began to rebuild the temple. But there was an incredible amount of opposition to this (some background can be found in Ezra 4-6).
God did not prevent the opposition to the temple or spare Zerubbabel from the stress of dealing with it.
God will not always protect us from the opposition.
When opposition comes, God may use it as a crucible to teach us to depend on Him.
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King Charles III succeeds the throne, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
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At the end of the day there is no substitute for Almighty God.
He is the ultimate be all and end all. He is the victorious deliverer that we can rely on in all circumstances!!
Substitutes
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