Never overwhelmed, never stressed out!

Feeling overwhelmed with so many things in life?
Feeling stressed out by so many pressing matters?
Feeling out-of-control with what's happening around you?

You have done everything you know how, but it seems like there's no light at the end of the tunnel? You have done everything you could, but it seems like it is all in vain?

The Lord says:
"My grace is sufficient for you, and I am more than enough for you. Whatever in this world that tries to overwhelm you, stress you out, or pull you down, it will not succeed against you, if you look to Me! For I AM WHO I AM, and I AM still in full control! All that you've done for Me will not go in vain. Just as I have done for Hezekiah those days, so will I do for you!"

Indeed, people of God, the Lord is more than enough for you, no matter what you are faced with at the moment. Let's go to 2 Chronicles now, and find out how the Lord showed Himself more than enough in Hezekiah's life as well.

The name 'Hezekiah' itself is very interesting. It is 'Chizqi Yah' in Hebrew, from two words, 'Chazaq', meaning 'to strengthen, to be strong, to be courageous', and 'Yah', which is the name of the self-existent and eternal God. Hezekiah, by the way, was one of the few kings of Judah who had close relationship with the Lord, and who did what was right, good, and faithful before the Lord his God.

After the wicked Ahaz (his father) died, Hezekiah became king, and the first thing he did was to cleanse the house of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29:1-5), throwing away the rubbish (and debris) that had heaped up in the house of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29:15-16). All in all, he did everything he knew how for the Lord - getting the Levites and priests to sanctify themselves, restoring worship in the temple of the Lord, keeping the Passover to the Lord God, and that's when 2 Chronicles 30:26 says, 'So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem'. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of the Lord, to seek the Lord his God, he did it with all his heart, and the Lord prospered him (2 Chronicles 31:21).

So, what could have lunged at him later on? And what could have threatened to destroy all the good that he had done? 2 Chronicles 32:1-2 says, 'After these deeds of faithfulness (on Hezekiah's part), Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah, and he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself... and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem...' The name 'Sennacherib' here implies 'someone/something that seeks to replace the good with something sinful, or replace your joy with sorrow', and Hezekiah was now faced with a deep crisis, when the Assyrians, the dominant world power at that time, wanted to invade Judah and Jerusalem!

People of God, like Hezekiah, maybe you too have done everything you know how. You have cleansed your 'temple', you have restored your 'altar' of worship, you have returned to His ways, you have followed His instructions, and you have even started off (what He has spoken for you to do) really well! But all of a sudden, you are now feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, and it seems like it is too much for you! Maybe because some people are not 'happy' with the good progress you've made, and they are now causing you problems, or to put it bluntly, giving you 'hell'. Or maybe it is a situation that is so pressing and stressing, that it takes away the peace out of your life! In other words, you are faced with your 'Sennacherib' that seeks to replace your joy with sorrow!

Now, the big question is how did Hezekiah handle this? The answer is he looked to the Lord, and cried out to the Lord! Together with the prophet Isaiah, they sought the Lord for His deliverance for Judah and Jerusalem! (2 Chronicles 32:20) Hezekiah and Isaiah - this is what I call a 'dream team' coming together! What a combination! What a team!

Where two or three are gathered in His name, He is here to answer, even in ways you cannot imagine can happen! I often tell those who come to be ministered to, that if they are the 'Hezekiah', then let our ministry be their 'Isaiah'. We pray together. We seek the Lord together. We look to the Lord together. We cry out to the Lord together. The answer and the deliverance will come.

As they (Hezekiah and Isaiah) were crying out to the Lord together, the Lord then sent an angel to destroy the works of Sennacherib, and Sennacherib had to return shamefaced to his own land (2 Chronicles 32:21). Yes, you've got it right - one angel! Just one angel settles it all! Is there anything too hard for the Lord?

So, take heart, people of God, all that you have done for the Lord will not go in vain! Do not be discouraged when you are faced with the 'Sennacherib' of your life. The Lord is more than enough for you, and His grace is sufficient for you. And whatever 'Sennacherib' that tries to hurl or lunge at you, trust that the Lord will know how to overturn it for your good! What the Lord has begun in your life, nothing in this world can upset it, if you look to Him continually. May you too, as Hezekiah's name means, be strengthened by the Lord for the many more greater things ahead of you. In Jesus' name. Amen!

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit"

Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV): "So he (angel) answered and said to me (Zechariah): This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel; ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit’. Says the Lord of hosts."

'Zechariah' is pronounced 'Zekar-Yah' in Hebrew, which means 'The Lord (YHWH) remembers'. Israel is blessed because YHWH remembers the covenant He made with the fathers. Zechariah was a prophet and priest in his days, having been born in exile during the 70 years of captivity in Babylon, and returning to Jerusalem from Babylon. The Lord used him to inspire the people (i.e. those returning to Jerusalem) to look to God and to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Who was Zerubbabel then? He was also among those returning to Jerusalem from Babylon, and as a governor, he was to take the lead in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. That was when the Lord spoke these words to him (in Zechariah 4:6) through Zechariah. By the way, the name 'Zerubbabel' means 'descendant of Babylon'. 'Babylon' represents 'the ways of the world'. This word actually comes from the word ‘Babel’, meaning ‘confusion’ in Hebrew. It speaks of 'worldly ways', i.e. people doing things by their own ‘might’ or ‘power’. Remember the tower of Babel? (see Genesis 11:1-9) So, even though Zerubbabel had this noble 'calling' of rebuilding the Lord's temple in Jerusalem, the Lord also wanted him to build it in His ways, not in worldly ways. Zerubbabel had probably been influenced much by the 'Babylonian ways' (of doing things) prior to Zechariah 4:6.

God’s work is to be done in God's ways, not in worldly ways! In other words, it is to be done by His Spirit (in His ways), and not by 'might' nor by 'power', i.e. the worldly ways (Babylonian ways). 

Let's now do a little study on the words 'might', 'power', and 'Spirit' in Zechariah 4:6. 

The word ‘might’ here is pronounced ‘khah-yil’ in Hebrew, which means ‘force, power, riches, strength (whether of human or other worldly resources). 

The word ‘power’ here is pronounced ‘kowach’ in Hebrew, meaning ‘human ability or capacity, own human produce (including power of human persuasion or flattering). 

The word ‘Spirit’ here is ‘ruwach’ in Hebrew, meaning ‘breath, life, wind, or spirit being exhaled’. Therefore, 'by His Spirit' is literally 'by the exhalation of His breath, life, wind, or Spirit'. 

So, not by 'khah-yil' nor by 'kowach', but by the Spirit of the Lord!

Zechariah 4:7 (NKJV) then says: Who are you, o great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone ('headstone' in KJV) with shouts of "Grace, Grace to it!” 

When God's things are done in God's ways, whatever 'mountain' (literally means 'to loom up' in Hebrew) shall become a 'plain'. This 'mountain' speaks of a 'problem' or 'hindrance', but when Jesus Christ has become your chief cornerstone (see Ephesians 2:20, 1 Peter 2:6), this same 'mountain' shall become a 'plain'! Jesus Christ is also God's grace personified (John 1:17). One definition of 'God's grace' is 'His ability to do for you what you cannot do by your own ability'. That's why your salvation is also by God's grace, through your faith (believing heart). By the way, the words 'capstone' and 'cornerstone' in Zechariah 4:6 and Ephesians 2:20 have similar meanings, i.e. 'the uppermost or the uttermost stone'. This speaks of Jesus Christ Himself, your 'chief cornerstone', whilst you and I (as believers) are the 'stones' (see 1 Peter 2:4-5).

Many believers today are like the Zerubbabels (who are so used to do things by their own 'khah-yil' or 'kowach'), and very much influenced (in one way or another) by the 'Babylonian ways' of doing things. I can't blame them. Having grown up in 'Babylonian' environment, many see this way as the only way to 'achieve' and 'prosper' in life. But beloved of God, there's a higher way - God's way. Will you begin to look to Him and His ways instead? (see Isaiah 55:8-9) Be it in your daily 'walk', in ministry, or in business, it's not by 'khah-yil' nor by 'kowach', but by His Spirit! Let's not repeat the same 'mistakes' as those who tried to 'build' the tower of Babel by their own ways! 

As a believer in the New Covenant, Jesus Christ has indeed become your 'capstone' or 'headstone'. Allow Him. And as many as are led by His Spirit, these are also called sons of God (Romans 8:14), and know this, people of God, as you are being led by Him, whatever 'temple' or 'mission' that God has called you to 'build' will come to pass and prosper, just as it was in the days of Zechariah and Zerubbabel. Amen!

In spite of your 'failures', God's love for you never fails!

Genesis 39:2a: The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man.

I heard these words one day: "In spite of your 'failures', God's love for you never fails". Indeed, His love for you never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Beloved, rest assured He will never leave you nor forsake you, and even in your 'driest' time, He is still with you, and is still working in your life (Philippians 2:13).

It doesn't matter what a failure you thought you've been, or what mistake (or how many mistakes) you've made in the past, God's love for you is still the same. His love for you hasn't changed. Joseph in the Old Testament was a 'failure' in the eyes of the world. Not only was he despised by his brothers (Genesis 37:5), he was also stripped (Genesis 37:23), thrown into a pit (Genesis 37:24), sold as a slave (Genesis 37:28), and later, thrown into prison (Genesis 39:20). But in spite of all these 'failures' (that would have 'wiped off' many others), he knew he still had 'someone'. He knew he still had the Lord. He knew despite all these, the Lord is still with him, and this made all the difference. He also knew God's love for him never fails, despite all the 'calamities' that have befallen him. In Genesis 39:2, the Bible says 'the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man'. What? The Bible calls him a 'successful man' even when he was despised, stripped, thrown, enslaved, and imprisoned? Well, you see God's definition of 'success' isn't really what the world sees 'success'. The world sees 'success' by what you have, how big your car is, how much you have in the bank, how many investments you have, etc, but God sees 'success' by who you have. When you have Jesus, you have everything! Joseph had nothing else but the Lord, and by this, the Lord called him a 'successful man'! 

Friends, you know the rest of the story. Joseph went on to become a great man in a great nation which was foreign to him, i.e Egypt. He became an equivalent to a 'prime minister' in our time, and in one of the biggest economies in the world those days. You see, he had no money, no contacts, no friends, no relatives, and not even clothes (he was starkly naked when sold at the slave market to Potiphar) to begin with, but He had the Lord. I believe you are much 'better off' than Joseph at the moment, but beloved, if you have the Lord, you have everything. Because God was with Joseph, and because God is the source of all wisdom, knowledge, and favor, wisdom began to flow in him, knowledge began to flow in him, and favor began to flow in him. He eventually became a 'success' even in the eyes of the world!

So beloved, do not look at 'what you have' at the moment, but instead look at 'who you have', and just as Joseph was, you can declare for yourself "the Lord is with _____________, and I am a successful man/woman, and the Lord makes all I do to prosper". Believe & receive.