Remind Me Dear Lord: Reassurance During a Pandemic (2)

Zechariah 4:6 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It is a reminder to me that no matter what I will face, God is in charge. All my limitations are not enough to limit God's power to work in my life. All my fears disappear in the presence and power of Almighty God. I hear the verse in Philippian 4:13 echoing in my mind every time I read Zechariah 4:6, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." COVID19 pandemic changes our lives. However, it does not and could not impact what God is and can do.

COVID19 stripped us from all our securities that were outside of God. The global impact of COVID19 has challenged us in all areas of our lives. We have lost many of our loved ones. Our lives have been placed on hold and, in some areas, are disrupted. We need reassurance that we are not alone. We need reassurance that God is still here with us. Let us look at the story of Zerubbabel, as is written in Zechariah 4. There are five points we should consider as we seek reassurance during this pandemic. Many of us have never had this kind of experience and most likely will never experience this kind again. As we strive to be assured, let us be reminded that God never changes. Nothing in the past, in the present, nor in the future impacts who God is. Not only do we need God, but we also need real companions. We cannot be connected spiritually and not maintain physical connections. We will need this combined connection to deal with the apathy in leadership.

Leadership is not just a pastoral activity, but we all are leaders in our rights. As we pursue God's appointment, we must listen to the message of hope that comes from God. Through this message, we will receive the reassurance that the task we are assigned will be completed with God's help. To conclude this blog, we will briefly examine the impact of God's anointing that is available to us. We all need reassurance, especially during a pandemic.

Zechariah 4:6 (ESV) is a simple verse, but it's buried in a much more detailed text. It's an answer that was given to Zerubbabel by God through the prophet Zachariah. It says this,

6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

This text reads like Revelation. A dream with certain representations that are figures that mean something. In this vision, the angel is asking Zechariah probing questions. What does this mean? When he asked the angel a question, the angel would then ask him another question. When you compare this dialogue to Revelation, you see the angel giving instructions to John, and he is writing it down. In Zechariah, we see a more interrogative approach. This kind of dialogue expressed to the prophet the whole meaning of the dream.

What we have here in Zechariah is not just a dream with symbols and figures, and representations. This is a dream and someone who is explaining to the prophet the meaning of the dream. In other words, it wasn't to keep him in darkness, but it was to enlighten him, to assure him of what was to come. When we talk about the goodness of God and speaking in this way, Isaiah 65:24 tells us to "call on me, and I will answer. It shall come to pass that before they call,” God says, "I will answer; and while they are speaking, I will hear.” This verse is another verse of assurance that says God is always there for you.

I am looking through this particular text, trying to understand the context of what was going on. It is said that this book is the most comprehensive of all the minor prophets, and it comprises over 211 verses [4], while Hosea is the second-longest of the Minor Prophet [5] . This book of Zechariah presents something of importance and value to us that we can apply to our lives today. When I look in the context of what was happening in those days, this book is what we call the post-exile prophetic utterances. At this point, this prophet received this word to give to the king. In other words, this happened after the exile of the children of Israel.

In his dedication prayer, Solomon prayed in 2 Chronicles 7:14, and he said, "if the people should turn their backs and cry, then Lord, please hear from heaven." Once he finished praying in chapter six, the Lord responded with the exact words he prayed. Solomon was thinking about the future because he knew the people. He knew that the people would someday or sometimes turn their backs on God.

Just as Solomon had feared, the children of Israel turned their backs on God, rejected God's commandments. God allowed the enemy, the Philistines, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, to overpower and captured them. Nebuchadnezzar was one of the great kings of Babylon. He devastated Israel, broke down the temple, took out all the gold and precious things, and left the place all tattered and torn. Then he took all the elite people, the young, energetic ones. Those who were princes and princesses were taken to Babylon. He also took those that looked like they could serve, brought them, and placed them in his kingdom.

One theologian says that he believed that Zechariah was left back and grew up during exile. While many were cast away, he was a young man who was brought up in exile. Zerubbabel grew up in a time when the temple was destroyed. He grew up, and he saw destruction all around him, which became part of his reality. I think about some of the children today who are in school and are growing up in this pandemic. The impact of this pandemic on these children will have a lasting effect. This period is going to be etched into their memories. The destruction and the devastation that took place will be part of their experiences.

GOD NEVER CHANGES

Amidst all that has happened in our world today, we must be reassured of the God we serve; he never changes. The God we serve supersedes all things. And so, even though the prophet Zechariah understood what was happening, he still served God. He could have become disheartened and disgruntled. He could have said, well, look at the broken walls, look at the tombs of my ancestors that have been exposed. Can you imagine him walking the streets and hear him saying, this used to be, this was here? The impact this experience had on a young man is unimaginable. But God had his hands upon him. It doesn't matter what you're facing, what you're going through. If God has his hand upon you, you can go through it. You can become what God wants you to be despite what you're facing.

Zechariah became a prophet. Regardless of his past experiences, Zechariah excelled. It is important to note that it wasn't that there was a lack of prophets, so God only chose the available one. No. There were a lot of prophets, but God used this man for this time. He embraced what God wanted him to be, like David. God used him in a mighty way. God used him to speak encouragement to the man of God who was leading the country at that time. We have to become encouragers. We have to become carriers of good news. God is looking for men and women who will become the voice of God, proclaiming good news and hope. That's who Zechariah was.

Another prophet who faced similar circumstances was Nehemiah. He worked in the king's court; he was the king's cupbearer. One day Nehemiah requested to go back to his homeland and help to rebuild the wall. The background story to this is interesting because even the temple was destroyed. All the consecrated items in the temple were taken out, brought to the captive lands. Their homes were destroyed. Their sepultures were opened up and exposed. When they were sent back to Jerusalem to rebuild, they began to rebuild their own homes. The returning citizens left the temple in disrepair because they got comfortable. The temple was still left broken down. Zerubbabel saw all this disrepair and realized that there was a lack of concern for the things of God. As I studied this, I was reminded that we must make sure in all of our endeavors that we take care of the things of God. Here are the things that matter in this world: our service to God and the things of God, and the responsibilities God has given us. It is all about pleasing God.

I'm reminded of the story that Jesus talked about the man who had a huge harvest, and he said in,

Luke 12:18–19 ESV

18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’

The moral of the story is that we should not become so tied up in our pursuit that we neglect what God has put in our hands. We face our realities knowing that God is in charge and never changes. Our God is the same, whether you face situations like Nehemiah, Zechariah, or the rich man in Jesus' story. Your experiences are nothing that God cannot handle. He is reliable!

WE NEED REAL COMPANIONS

In this part of scripture, Zechariah 4:6, we heard Zechariah having a conversation. This part of the conversation is essential because there are so many times we want to correct people and speak into people's lives, but they have not permitted us to do so. Therefore, they don't receive your correction; they don't receive your challenge. I am moved by the fact that Zerubbabel and Zechariah had a good relationship. The king and the prophet had a good relationship so that the prophet could have dreamed a dream, and the king would listen to it. I'm cautious about dreams. Dreams sometimes are meant to tell us things, and sometimes it is just a result of what we consume mentally. However, dreams also are one of the ways God speaks to us. Therefore, I'm cautious not to put a lot of stock into dreams. We must be careful in understanding the context of a particular dream since it's based on interpretations. You have to make sure you know what you're interpreting.

In this text in the scripture, we learned that Zechariah had a series of dreams. This dream was the fifth of the series of dreams that he had. It wasn't just a one-off. In Zechariah 1, he had a vision of a red horse riding among the myrtles. In Zechariah 1:18-21, he had a vision of four horns and four craftsmen. Then in Zechariah 2, he has a vision of the surveyor with the measuring line. In Zechariah 3, he has a dream about the cleansing and crowning of Joshua. In Zechariah 4, he dreams of the golden lampstand and the two-olive tree. In chapter five, verses one to four, he had a dream with the flying scroll. In Zechariah 5:5-11, he had another vision of a woman. Lastly, in Zechariah 6, he had a vision of chariots. We can see that dreams have their place in how God is communicating to us.

In the series of about eight visions that he had, one of those visions had described a lampstand under two olive trees standing on either side of the lampstands. He interpreted the vision. This message was about providing for and rebuilding the temple of God.

What a companion Zechariah was that God could use him to encourage the king. God entrusted him with the vision and encouragement for the king. Can God entrust you with encouragement for someone else? Can God share the vision of greatness with you for someone else? A good friend is sometimes hard to find.

DEALING WITH APATHY

Facing apathy was challenging to Zerubbabel and many leaders of his time as they sought to rebuild the temple. The people had become complacent. They showed little concerned about the condition of their homeland. Can you imagine that people would just live in this disrepair? Things are all broken up and deteriorated around them. As long as their house was okay, they did not see any need to fix what was still broken. Please do not allow yourself to be comfortable with places of brokenness. Resist the urge to turn blind or become concerned only for your circle.

Zerubbabel was faced with apathy and complacency. He now had to figure out how to rebuild the temple. As a leader, he was concerned about the place of worship. He was concerned about the house of God. As a child of God, as Christians, we must always be concerned about the house of God. When we talk about the house, it's not just the building. We are talking about the people of God. The people are the church, not the edifice. We must be concerned about one another, concern about a place where we can gather. As the text says in Proverbs 27:17, iron sharpens iron. We can get together as one and serve and praise God with all of our minds and our souls.

One exciting thing in the text that we see is how we should deliver messages. Sometimes we get intimidated about the responses we will receive. Should I say to somebody what the Lord said to my heart? Then you begin to question yourself, is this what God is saying to me? Is it really what God's saying to me, or is it my thoughts? Messengers are constantly questioning themselves to be confident that the message they will deliver is the one God has given to them. In this message, there was concern about the state and the present condition of the temple. The people were less concerned about the temple because their homes were already built.

We see this similar concern with David. When God gave the children of Israel peace, David had built up his palace, and everything was going well. However, David got concerned because he said, "I am living in a timber house, but the Ark of God is in a tent." Then David inquired of the Lord; he said, "I want to build you a house." And God said, "no, David, it's not your place to build it. I have a man that is going to build my temple, but I like your concern." David says, "well, if I'm not going to be able to build it, then Lord, I'll provide for it." This lesson can be applied in this story. King Zerubbabel could have said my palace is okay. I have got people who are caring for me. Why am I worried about the temple? A true man/woman of God who has a heart for the things of God cannot sit still when the things of God are in disarray. Your heart and your mind are concerned; you are concerned about current conditions.

I am writing this article in the middle of the COVID19 pandemic. In the USA, over 700,000 persons have died from the pandemic. Many persons have been severely sickened as a result of this disease. Many lives have been uprooted, and things are not the same. I was just thinking the other day, and I said, even when COVID has passed, things will never go back to what we called "normal." Life and the way we operated have entirely changed.

COVID19 has taken over the entire world; our lives will not be the same. Many are not taking this reality well. Many people are suffering mentally during this time. What will happen to those people when this is passed? I can imagine Zerubbabel; as I was thinking about this crisis, I kept thinking about all these people suffering today. I think of all the frontline workers who work in the hospitals and the nursing home. The trauma that they must have suffered. What is going through their minds when they hear the codes being called. They hear all the suffering and the sounds and smell of death.

I heard from some of the frontline workers as they told me that they could hear the sound of death in the hospitals. One person recalled her experience suffering in the hospital suffering from COVID19. Some of the scariest times were in the middle of the night; one could hear someone dying. You know that they have the same disease you have, and they just passed away. You were laying in the bed, not knowing if you were going to survive that night. Now those who have come out of that experience have to live with this experience.

What made the trauma even worse in the early months was that you couldn't even go to the funerals. So, you don't know if the person who's lying there is your loved one or not. You're just taking it at face value. You didn't even have a proper burial. I mean, they didn't even have services at the church or services inside of the funeral homes. They just had them in the parking lots and gravesides; then, they would go directly to the burial ground. People didn't have time to grieve and to say a proper goodbye to their loved ones. We need to hear from God. We need to listen to a word that will give us some comfort. We need to understand that God knows about the things we go through. Maybe you are like Zerubbabel, faced with devastation but want to serve God. Faced with the fact that you might not have the folks that you need to encourage you, but you have God. Faced with the fact that all your plans might have been dashed, but you have God. If God is with you, then you're all right.

WE NEED TO SEE SPIRITUALLY

As I look in the text, one of the first things I note is that we need to see spiritually. It's easy to forget that the goodness of God, that his hands still can reach us. When you are battered with all kinds of situations and expected to live, you're expected to serve; you're expected to carry on; it's not easy. Zerubbabel understood this. As a king, how does he encourage the people? How does he speak peace, speak hope? He became affected by the circumstances that were around him.

Every single one of us, at some point in time, will need somebody to encourage us. At some point in time, every one of us needs somebody to speak hope and life into our circumstances. When you look all around you and seem hopeless, you need somebody to come alongside and say it is not all lost. There is hope for tomorrow. You need someone who can see spiritually. Being able to see spiritually means you can look beyond the current circumstances and discern the voice and instruction of the Holy Spirit.

In verse two of Zechariah chapter four, the angel said to Zechariah, what do you see? He replied I'm looking. See, we have to be able to look spiritually. He didn't see death and doom. He didn't see broken walls and overturned tombs. No. He had to look spiritually. He had to look beyond the circumstances. And what he saw was something unique. He saw the candlestick. Consider with me for a moment what this candlestick represented in the sanctuary. He could see the original deposition of the candlestick. The prophet sees it as where it should be, projected up like usually. He saw beyond the current condition. He's thinking about the temple of God with the candlestick, with the lights burning, signifying something is going to happen. Beside the candlestick were two olive trees. Consider the purpose of the olive trees; olive trees speak of supplies. Therefore, if you have an olive tree, you will get olive, and you can make your oil, and oil is essential. You can sell your oil, and now you have provision. I am refusing to allow my current disposition to dictate what I see and what I believe. I am looking deeper and beyond the natural.

When I look, and I see the devastation, I must look deeper. I must look through the eyes of the Spirit. I must hear what God says to me when he asks me, son, what do you see? And I say, I have to look. What do you see? I have it to tell the angel; I must look. Sometimes you are at a point where you don't know what is happening around you. You're just backed in a corner; you just don't know what to do. When a question is asked of you, and you cannot find the answer. God wants you to look beyond what you are experiencing physically. Just don't rest at, I don't know. You must go beyond that point and look again. I have to look again because what I'm used to seeing, I don't think that's what you're asking me about God. You're not asking me what my physical eyes see; you're asking me what my spiritual eyes are looking on. Look again! Tell me what you see.

It's interesting as you dig deeper into this text that the question is not about the past. It's not what you saw, but it's what do you see now. It's the reality. You have to get this in your Spirit today. He's not concerned about what you saw. He says, look and tell me what you see. For some folks, the past is not worth beholding. History is hard to grasp, to comprehend. When I look at the past, I get more depressed; I just want to be detached. So, I can't dwell in the past. I got to look at what I see now and what I see now; it's something of life and hope. He spoke. I see that there's a lampstand. I see solid gold with a bowl on top of it. And on it, seven lamps, seven pipes, seven lamps.

Those who study numerology in scriptures understand the number seven speaks of perfection, completeness. You might say, well, hold up a second, the prophet is talking to a king and living in a city that is filled with incompleteness, devastation on either hand. We talk about the pandemic, and what we hear is about how devastating it is on the entire world population. Some people project that this pandemic is ending, while others project that we are far from the end.

But just like the prophet, I got to look beyond what man tells me. I got to look beyond what my eyes were telling me. I got to look beyond my current situation. I got to look through the eyes of God, and I see hope, I see a future, I see brighter today. I see things are changing; I see my olive trees. I see my bowls on the right and the left, and I have hope. We need to be able to see spiritually.

WE NEED A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM GOD

Secondly, in Zechariah 4:6-7 demonstrate that we need a message of hope from God. I embrace this in my heart that it's

Zechariah 4:6 ESV

6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

This is a message of hope. Verse six states, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. Does anyone need a word from God in your circumstances? I don't need any fancier speeches. I don't need any excellent lectures. I need the word of God for my life. I need the word of God in my circumstances. I am in dire situation. I'm in a straight. I don't need you tickling ears with words that do not give hope. I don't need fancy talk.

I need the word of God that is the source of my hope. I need to hear that God is coming through for me. I need God's word. This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, a message of hope from God our Father. This word is available to you and me as we experience the darkest moments of our lives.

We've got to speak the word of God into the life and circumstances of others. Speak positively into the lives of others. Listen to what God is saying. You see, the prophet cannot be quick to speak. First of all, he asked him, what do you see? If people are quick to talk, they primarily don't ponder the point long enough to speak. The first thing he said to the prophet was, look, what do you see? And when he told him what he saw, he said, okay, here is what you need to tell Zerubbabel. We must be deliberating before we start speaking. We should not be too quick to talk, but we are to be praying about what God says to us and what he wants us to say? What is it that he is showing us?

The vision wasn't for the prophet. The vision was for the king because the king needed to be encouraged. The prophet brought the message of hope. The message to Zerubbabel is that it is not by "your might that you will be successful." In other words, Zerubbabel, don't worry yourself. You are looking at the task, and the task seems daunting. You're looking at the task, and it seems like you cannot do it, but don't worry yourself, Zerubbabel.

It's not by your might, Zerubbabel.

It's not how strong you are, Zerubbabel.

It's not how deep your pocket is, Zerubbabel.

It's not by your might, Zerubbabel, but it is by the Spirit of God.

At this point, we should be shouting because when I am weak, I am strong in God as stated in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

That means when I am discouraged and worn out; then I am encouraged and lifted because it's not by my might; it's not by my strength. I don't have to develop any energy for the Spirit of God to move. He is independent of our circumstances. I just got to trust the Spirit of God to move in my life.

Pray

Today, my cry is, "Lord; I cannot do this task; only you can get it done, God. Even when I think I am capable, God, unless you do it, I will fail unless your Holy Spirit leads. Move Holy spirit! As you reminded Zerubbabel, please continue to remind me that the Lord of hosts sent the message. It is the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace that has spoken, and I believe him!"

To prophet intending to reassure the king did not immediately give the message directly. However, he showed him a picture. It is as if God was saying, "I want him to understand what I'm trying to tell him." I'm going to speak to his enemies at the same time. I will speak to his challenges; I will say to the circumstances, the situation that gets him down. I need God to speak into my affairs. I need God to talk to my mountains. The writer asked in verse seven, who are you thou great "Mountain"? I don't know what the "Mountain" is in your life today; let me share with you, there is a word from God. He has a word that He has sent to you. And the question is, who are you, thou "great Mountain"?

Why is God questioning this Mountain? He says, "oh great Mountain, who are you great Mountain before Zerubbabel?" The reason why God is questioning this Mountain is that the Mountain is a hindrance to his servant. In other words, whatever your mountains are, your restrictions, and your challenges, the God that we serve will require those "Mountains" to answer to Him. He's not arguing. God is not quarreling. He's not fussing with the "Mountain." He's just asking the question, who are you, great Mountain? Who are you that you're going to stand in front of my servant Zerubbabel? You will become a plain. God said I'm going to bring you down "Mountain." Why? Because you are a hindrance to my servant's progress.

We need a message of hope when we are faced with our pandemics. It's not just coronavirus that is a pandemic in our lives. There are pandemics of finances affecting our relationships and our jobs. These pandemics are haunting us night and day. We need God to speak to our mountains. God will bring low those obstacles, and He will give us hope. Don't you worry; just leave it to the Spirit of God. Because the Bible tells me that God has given us His Spirit, he says he didn't give you a spirit of fear but love and power and a sound mind [scripture].

So, I'm not going to ignore my situation. I'm not going to ignore that I have a mountain either. I'm going to acknowledge I have a mountain, but I'm going to say to the Mountain, Mountain, get out of my way. Mountain, you got to move. Yes, the Spirit of God brings life. The Spirit of God brings liberation. The Spirit of God breaks every stronghold and sets the prisoner free [scripture]. Maybe you have been a prisoner of your mind. Perhaps you have been locked in your thoughts; I'm here to tell you that God has come. He has set his Spirit upon you to give you liberty. Cry out to God today; Oh, Holy Spirit, oh, Holy Spirit, oh, Holy Spirit, we need your help. We need your help, Holy Spirit. Oh, God helps us.

WE NEED REASSURANCE THAT THE WORK WILL BE COMPLETED

Thirdly, in verses eight and nine, we are told that we need reassurance that the work will be completed. The Bible tells us that Zerubbabel was building the temple, and he got discouraged. He questioned himself. He stated I didn't know if I could finish this task. This task is more than I can bear. How am I going to do this? He needed a word from God. The word came directly and said, Zerubbabel, you can do it.

As you read this blog, you might be feeling similarly to how Zerubbabel was feeling in this passage.

Zechariah 4:8–9 ESV

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

In other words, you have started it. And the hands of Zerubbabel will complete it. The prophet told Zerubbabel that he was coming to him as the mouthpiece of the Lord of hosts. I'm coming to encourage you. What you have started, what you have put your hand to, and you feel that you cannot complete it, I'm here to tell you that God has made a promise for you. You will get it done. We all need this kind of reassurance.

Do you need reassurance today? The Lord wants to reassure you that what you are facing is not the end. What you are facing is just the beginning. The hand of God is with you. The hand of God has surrounded you. The hand of God is protecting you. The prophet told the king that you would know that the Lord of hosts has sent me when you have finished your assignment.

He says in Zechariah 4:10, for who has despised the day of small things? This verse is a reminder that we should not underestimate small things. For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, which scan all around and throughout the whole world. The consolation today, in Zechariah 4:10, is very rich. When the prophet talks about the plumb line, carpenters know that it is essential because it holds the level. It's an indication that some building project is going on. When laying the blocks or trying to make sure that everything connects, they set the plumb line. They set the plumb line, and everything is leveled from the plumb line. According to The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, plumb line is symbolic of an ordinary tool of the day representing God’s true and accurate judgment[3].

The prophet says to Zerubbabel; you might not have all you think you need, but you must begin with what you have. Some people give up because they don't have everything all at once, but that's not what God wants from us. He wants us to trust him with whatever we have. We must trust God even if it's a little bit of patience or if it's a modest faith like that of a grain of mustard seed. Whatever it is that you have, maybe it's your finances. Trust God with it. Whatever you have, God is saying wholeheartedly. Don't reject what you have. You are going to finish the work with what you have. You're going to complete the task with what is in your hand.

Let us look more at the question, who has despised the day of small things? When you read the story of the children of Israel after the exile in Nehemiah and Ezra, you realize that the temple was built. The wall was erected, and the tombs were repaired. Then they got the scroll, and Ezra, the prophet, stood up on a platform and read from the scrolls. The Bible says that the people stood there and listened from morning till evening as they read the scrolls Nehemiah 8:3. The people responded and said all that the word of God says we will do. Maybe Zerubbabel didn't even have this picture in his mind. He might not even saw the possibility of everything being restored. The temple and the platform are erected. Hundreds of thousands of people are standing in front of him, listening to the word of God being delivered. I am not sure he had this vision. God called him, and he did what he had to do, and the result is beyond imagination.

As Zerubbabel proceeded to tackle his Mountain, you and I must tackle all our mountains. We work because there is a future. There is hope. Don't underestimate little things. It's interesting when you consider all the big things that little things control. Look at the cruise ship and the little stern that controls it. Look at this tractor-trailer and look at the small steering wheel that controls it. A small instrument controls a giant airplane. You look at our body and the little tongue that controls it. You might be small, or you might have small things, but it doesn't mean you can't do big things. Little is much, and the songwriter says when God is in it.

The prophet's message was; don't you worry because God is in it with you. God is there to remind you that you have the plumb line so keep working. The eyes of the Lord are upon you; it scans back and forth. You might feel that you're not protected. Let me remind you that you are protected by the hand of God. You have comprehensive protection. You might not be able to see your way out, but God's got you in His protection. He's the one that is looking over you.

You must understand that when your circumstances overwhelm you depend on God. When your situations seem to get the better of you, you can rely on God. Our God is always looking over us; he sees us. There's nowhere on the face of this earth you can go that God is not present. He's always there. The Psalmist says, where should I go from the presence of the Lord? Even hell, I can't escape him. I could make my bed in the depths of the oceans, even there he is. God is all over. He's concerned about his people [scripture]. Don't underestimate the beginning of small things.

GOD'S ANOINTING IS AVAILABLE TO YOU

The last point I want to make is found in Zechariah 4:11-14. We need to know that God has set forth his anointed ones to serve alongside his people. To be "called" refers to "A ceremonial action performed on persons and things to separate them from profane use and obtain on their behalf the infusion of Divine grace." [1] It is said that the Biblical personalities were often anointed in "recognition of the Lord's divine calling upon their lives; the anointing was a physical recognition of their particular roles (or office), such as king, prophet, or priest." [2] You might think you are alone but listen to what he said about the olive stands. He asked what the meaning of the olive trees is? Explain it to me. In Zechariah 4:12, he begins to talk about it. He says, then I answered and said to him, what are these two olive branches that dip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes with the golden oil drain? He rehearsed his statement. He says this means something. The olive branch that connects to the bowl seems to be pouring golden oil into this thing. It's not just pouring oil, and it's pouring golden oil. I mean, this is such a rich passage.

And he said, Zechariah 4:13, then the angel answered and said, do you not know what are these? And he said, no, my Lord. The angel asked, don't you know? In other words, the angel was thinking; you're the prophet. He said these are two anointed ones who stand beside the Lord on the earth. God has sent his anointed ones. It reminded me of the scripture that says; he will give his angels charge over you as stated in Psalm 91:11-12. You are not alone. Everyone might have given up on you. You might be standing alone but remember the God of Heaven's Army is on your side. Remember that Jesus promised us that He would send us the Holy Spirit, who is our Helper. In His high priestly prayer in John 17, he prayed that God would keep us. There is help for all of us. When you face life's most pandemic situations, God is right there to help you.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have examined the message of the Spirit that was given to Zerubbabel. Faced with the task of completing the restoration of the walls and the city Zerubbabel was facing discouragement. Every leader knows what it is like to face their task and to have to deal with apathy. If you are going to look beyond the discouragement and more ahead, you must begin to see through the eyes of the Spirit. We Must Deal with the apathy of those who we will lead and work alongside. It is always true that God never changes. No circumstances can impact the nature of God. Our eyes must see beyond the natural and see in the spiritual realm. All of us need real companions, and we need a message of hope from God. We all need reassurance that the work we are assigned will be completed. We are not alone; the power and anointing of God are available to assist us with our assignment.

[1] Nyberg, M. F. (2016). Anointing. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. [2] Nyberg, M. F. (2016). Anointing. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

[3] Silva, M., & Tenney, M. C. (2009). In The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, M-P (Revised, Full-Color Edition, Vol. 4, p. 918). Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation.

[4] Hwang, J. (2016). Zechariah, Book of. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

[5] Smith, R. L. (1984). Micah–Malachi(Vol. 32, p. 166). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

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