Day 7. The Holy Spirit builds what flesh cannot

Day 7 — The Holy Spirit Builds What Flesh Cannot

Writer: Josh // Divergent

Scripture:

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty." Zechariah 4:6 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” — Acts 1:8

Theme: Dependence on the Spirit Prayer Focus: Yielding control to the Spirit’s work

Reflection:

In the life of faith, there is a temptation to trade dependence on the Spirit for self-determined effort. We plan, we organise, we strive in our flesh and yet still there is a sense of trying to carry a load that was never meant to rest on our shoulders.

Over and over, the Scriptures call us back from this tendency and bring us to an awareness of God’s steadfastness, His provision, and His refusal to leave us to our own strength.

Through Zechariah, the Lord issues a counter-cultural invitation to a people weary from attempting to rebuild His Temple:

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.”

Not by “Might” (Hebrew: ḥēṣ) and “power” (Hebrew: gibbor) refers to human strength, military force, or political influence.

God is telling Zerubbabel that the Temple will be rebuilt not by human effort or political/military strength, but by God’s Spirit working through him.

How often do we turn to human mechanisms to build what God alone can do?

This is not a statement against hard work, planning, or careful obedience to the tasks before us. Rather, it is putting our trust in the One who began all of this and will finish all of it.

Jesus repeats this declaration to His disciples as they await His departure. They have been with Him, heard His teaching, watched Him raise the dead, yet, He still tells them to wait:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” — Acts 1:8

Mission is an inevitable fruit of the Spirit’s work, but first there is dependence. The movement of the early Church was not a result of their zeal, strategy, or initiative but of yielding to the Spirit’s timing and power.

The Holy Spirit builds what flesh cannot. To live by the Spirit is to refuse the tyranny of our own safety and full understanding. It is trusting that God is at work in ways we may not see. This is not passivity but faithful obedience marked by humility. We are to walk in obedience and leave the rest up to Him.

If we trust Him, the Spirit leads us to a deeper, broader confidence. He is with us, He is at work, and His power extends beyond our efforts. When we surrender control, we make space for a work that has eternal weight.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we recognise that our tendency is often to trust our own understanding and to labour at the work that only You can do. We confess our lack of dependence on You to our God, who delights in changing our hearts. Bring to mind the times when we have been striving, trying to get things done in our own strength and timing.

May we learn, again, to wait on You. Where we are striving, bring rest. Where we are controlling, bring surrender. Work in us and through us what only You can, for the glory of Jesus.

Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1.     In what areas of my life or ministry am I relying more on effort than on the Spirit’s leading and power?

2.     How might I begin to practise restraint and waiting, rather than rushing to produce results?

3.     What is one practical way that I could intentionally yield control to the Holy Spirit in this season and trust Him to do what I cannot?