The prophet Jeremiah, like Zechariah, wrote about Israel’s Babylonian captivity. The Lord showed him that Israel was like a basket of figs - some good and some bad.
In Jeremiah 24:5-7 we read:
Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel. ‘Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.
For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.
Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart.’
In this chapter of Jeremiah the Lord said that He allowed Judah to be taken into Babylonian captivity ‘for their own good’ because there were so many ‘bad figs’ amongst them. What makes a bad fig? When we run after the world and its lusts and Abba just leaves us to do our own thing because we are not mindful of Him and His will. That is when we run blindly into captivity and only when we are trapped do we start crying out to YHVH for help.
In this captive state we realize how badly we need YHVH’s help and deliverance. It is only when our lives fall into pieces that we can really see the true condition of our hearts. Our bad figs are also exposed in our relationships when others have to eat of our bad figs because it is all that we have to offer them. Then these relationships also turn sour.
After the difficulty of captivity Judah ‘returned to YHVH with their whole heart.’
Zechariah 4:9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands shall also finish it.”
This text addresses a worn and weary Zerubbabel, who, having gallantly laid the temple’s foundation, was about to succumb to discouragement. God is saying to him that by His Spirit his hands will complete the work. NOT…..by his might, or power, strength or ability. In other words – not the power of the body, a powerful will or mind, or even carefully thought out strategies, or all the money in the world, was enough to do this work. No, He said that he will only be able to accomplish this by His Spirit.
Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a
symbol], says the Lord of hosts. Zech 4:6.
The temple was not build by normal human resources. We have to understand that our brokenness will only be rebuilt by partnering with Holy Spirit. Only then will we be able to ‘get the job done’. This makes me so excited, because He guides us, teaches us and shows us deep and hidden truths - all through Holy Spirit in us.
This may seem to be very basic truths, but human pride, self-confidence, and ego makes it often a very difficult lesson to learn. It is often only from this places of captivity (Babylon) where we so many times are faced with the pile of rubble (the dung) in our lives. Yes, it stinks and it is never a comfortable place to be in. Some people want to flee from it, but they take the ‘smell’ with them. So, yes you can get divorced, but you just take the smell and the bondage with you and you will still be captive!
A mother mailed me and said, “We cannot stand to live with my son anymore. He is full of demons and lives a filthy life. What should we do?”
You cannot divorce your child; but, you can help him come out of Babylon!
Many a time it is only when we are confronted with the hard facts and brokenness in our lives - where we are faced with the rubble and realize that we have no authority at all to change the situation - then we cry out to YHVH.
This is the place where we finally come to the end of self, our pride, our ego and where all our self-confidence shatters into pieces. Only then, do we come to realise that it is ‘not by might, nor by power, but only through His Holy Spirit’.
This is a wonderful place to reach - a place of total dependence where the Wisdom of Holy Spirit can start to teach us step-by-step to move the mountains in our lives.
I walked this humble road. I had to bow down very low wiping away my tears. No man could help me, and there HOLY SPIRIT BECAME MY PARTNER.
He helped me to humbly lay down all of my own understanding and knowledge, allowing Holy Spirit to take control and teach me step-by- step. He taught me far more than I could have dreamed. The brokenness can only be mended with His help. Spiritual understanding, spiritual laws, my spiritual heart and my whole spirit man needed to wake up so that I could start living life to the fullest! Now, it is a daily walk of obedience.
He is saying the same thing to you ‘Come, get the job done – but not by might, nor by power but….. By My Spirit says the Lord!’
Holy Spirit wants to help you to move the mountains in your life, in spite of all the difficulties that you face.
In Matthew 17:20 Yeshua promises his disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” But, it is a spiritual walk, not with your own effort.
Abba Father, Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. I am willing and gladly invite you to be my Partner. Please help me to move these mountains in my life.
I bless you my friend to stand up and take Holy Spirit’s hand!
Become a mountain mover!
Nothing is impossible for Him
Retah and family