Not by Might, but by His Spirit

Scripture

“So the Jewish leaders began to say, ‘Perhaps he is going to kill himself because he says, “Where I am going you cannot come.”’”
— John 8:22

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
— Zechariah 4:6

Meditation

My path led up a hill, and at the foot of it I saw a boy on a bicycle. He was pedaling uphill against the wind, and it was clearly a tremendous struggle. With great effort, he pushed forward, straining with all his strength.

Just then, a trolley car came along, moving in the same direction—up the hill. It was not going too fast, so the boy reached out, caught hold of the bar at the back with one hand, and held on.

Then you can imagine what happened.

He went up the hill like a bird.

At that moment, a realization came to me:

“I am like that boy on the bicycle. In my weariness and weakness, I am struggling uphill against many forms of resistance, nearly exhausted by the effort. Yet right beside me is a great and available power—the strength of the Lord Jesus.

I need only to reach out to Him and maintain connection with Him—even with just a small ‘finger’ of faith—and that will be enough. His power will become mine for the task that now feels too great for me.”

And with that realization, my weariness was lifted, and I was strengthened by this truth.

— The Life of Fuller Purpose

Poem: Abandoned

Utterly abandoned to the Holy Spirit,
Seeking all His fullness at whatever cost;
Cutting all the shorelines, launching into the deep
Of His mighty power—strong to save and keep.

Utterly abandoned to the Holy Spirit!
Oh, the sinking, sinking, until self is lost;
Until the emptied vessel lies broken at His feet,
Waiting till His filling makes the work complete.

Utterly abandoned to the will of God,
Seeking no other path than my Master trod;
Leaving ease and pleasure, making Him my choice,
Waiting for His guidance, listening for His voice.

Utterly abandoned—no will of my own;
For time and eternity, His and His alone;
All my plans and purposes lost in His sweet will,
Having nothing, yet in Him possessing all things still.

Utterly abandoned! How sweet it is to be
Captive in His bonds of love, yet wondrously free;
Free from sin’s entanglements, free from doubt and fear,
Free from every worry, burden, grief, or care.

Utterly abandoned! Oh, the rest is sweet,
As I wait and linger at His blessed feet;
Waiting for the coming of the Guest divine,
Who will perfectly refine my inmost being.

Lo, He comes and fills me—Holy Spirit sweet!
In Him I am satisfied; in Him I am complete!
And the light within my soul shall never grow dim,
As I keep my covenant—abandoned unto Him.

–The Stream in the Desert

Join Our Fellowship Community: Find deeper joy in fellowship with like-minded students who are also walking in faith. Join us in our weekly online Bible study fellowship.