It’s been said that the Holy Spirit has a strange affinity for the trained mind. But it is easy for people to think that because they know a lot about God, they know God. We need only remember the Pharisees and Sadducees to know the truth. God stood next to them, they heard him teach, they saw him do miracles, and yet they didn’t recognize his Presence in the man named Jesus.

Spiritual wisdom is a gift from God. Spiritual service is not accomplished with human strength. Spiritual strength isn’t measured by how much knowledge we have acquired about God; it is measured by how well God can use all that knowledge we have acquired.

That’s what the Lord was telling Zerubbabel, a king of Judah. Zerubbabel was tasked with building a temple in Jerusalem. The people had returned from the Babylonian captivity and they needed a place to worship. Zerubbabel was overwhelmed with trying to build even a simple structure, let alone something that compared to the temple Solomon had constructed.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a calling from God? Have you faced a trial or tragedy that seemed too difficult to overcome? Maybe there was a time when the effort of remaining faithful to God seemed too costly in a culture that doesn’t believe he matters.

God did not give us his Holy Spirit as a favor. God’s Spirit indwells Christians because he is a necessity to our spiritual lives. God’s word to King Zerubbabel remains his word today. The Lord spoke to the king, saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” 

The king wasn’t going to build a temple because of his great wealth or powerful abilities. The temple would be built because God’s Spirit would provide all that was needed. God’s Spirit would inspire the people to work, give, and serve. God’s Spirit would inspire the king’s leadership and protect the people from their enemies. The temple was God’s idea; therefore, God’s Spirit was essential for every aspect of its construction.

We don’t accomplish great things for God in our strength or because of our training. We accomplish great things for God when we allow the Spirit to be powerful through us. 

Yielding to God’s wisdom is spiritual strength. We cannot be strong in the Lord until we yield to his Holy Spirit.