Tag Archives: not by might nor by power but by my spirit

November 26, 2025 · 5:52 AM

Overcoming Mountains

One thing I’ve learned is that God usually calls us to things that are beyond our strength and ability. It’s not to shame us by exposing our weakness or inability, but to get us to rely on Him. What do you normally do when you face a mountain God has called you to that’s too big? Some people look at it and realize they can’t do it and quit before they ever get started. Some go at it with everything in them trying to do it in their own strength, but get burned out along the way. Others try to analyze and strategize how to accomplish it, but often get paralysis through analysis. Then there are those who trust God and get started taking it one step and one day at a time.

In Zechariah 4, the first wave of people had returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile. They had started to rebuild the Temple, but it was a large task that faced opposition. The project, headed up by Zerubbabel, had stalled for about 16 years when Zechariah was given a vision of a golden lampstand that was connected to two olive trees giving it continuous oil. An angel then Zechariah “This [continuous supply of oil] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [prince of Judah], saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of whom the oil is a symbol],’ says the Lord of hosts” (AMP). God was prophetically reminding Zerubbabel that it was going to be accomplished by the divine strength of the Spirit and to keep going despite the mountain of opposition.

In Zechariah 4:7 the angel continued, “What are you, O great mountain [of obstacles]? Before Zerubbabel [who will rebuild the temple] you will become a plain (insignificant)! And he will bring out the capstone [of the new temple] with loud shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”  What God calls you to will be opposed, but keep at it because God will complete what He begins. This verse shows us how people celebrated at the end of the work as an encouragement to Zerubbabel to keep at it. You and I can take courage too when we face mountains of obstacles and shortcomings. It is not by your might or power that it will be accomplished, but by the continuous flow of oil from the Lord who will empower you to complete it.

Photo by Stephen Rheeder on Unsplash

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September 29, 2014 · 7:49 AM

Mountains To Molehills

One of the songs we used to sing at church came from Zechariah 4:6-7. It went, “Not by might. Not by power, but by my spirit sayeth The Lord. This mountain shall be removed by my spirit sayeth The Lord.” I remember wondering what the deeper meaning of that scripture song was. As a child, I didn’t have the capacity to understand it, but I sang it with all of my heart. I had no idea those scripture songs would come back to life in my mind years later.

As I read those verses recently, I started reading them in different translations. An angel was showing Zechariah things in the spirit realm. One of the things he saw was a lamp stand made of gold with a bowl for oil and seven lights with spouts down to the bowl of oil. There were two olive trees on either side of the lamp stand where the bowl was getting its oil from. Zechariah asked the angel what it meant.

In the Message version, the angel replied, “You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit. So, big mountain, who do you think you are? You’re nothing but a molehill.” In my own life, I’ve been known to force things to make them happen. I tell myself, “If things aren’t happening, make them happen.” I pride myself on my determination to get things done. If there’s a brick wall I can’t get over, I do what I can to knock it down. I don’t let it stand in my way. I’m learning that I can’t force things that God wants to do in His timing.

In the Amplified translation, the angel replied, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit of whom the oil is a symbol, says The Lord of Hosts. For who are you, O great mountain of human obstacles? You shall become a plain. A mere molehill.” Here I see that we have to stay plugged in to God’s Spirit. The oil feeds the lamp and keeps it burning. The bowl was connected to the olive trees so it wouldn’t run out. Our connection to God gives us the strength to get past the obstacles in our lives created by ourselves or others. It’s not by anything we do, but only through Him that we will succeed.

In the Good News Bible translation, the angel replied, “You will succeed, not by military might or by your own strength, but by my Spirit. Obstacles as great as mountains will disappear before you.” I like this one because when we face mountains in our lives, we wonder if we will ever get past them. Here, God reminds us that we will be successful and it won’t be dependent on anything we do. It’s through Him that we will be successful. When we realize that, the mountains in our lives will no longer look like mountains because of our perspective. A mountain is tiny in God’s eyes.

Whatever mountain stands in your way today, know that you will be successful in getting past it, but it won’t be because of your own strength. It won’t be because you forced your way through it. You will succeed because you are tapped into God’s Spirit and recognize His strength in your life. When you give up your strength and tactics to accept His, you will see those obstacles in your way disappear and become mere molehills. Trust in God today and get into His Word so you have oil in your lamp to see what He is about to do for you.

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