We sometimes idealize the great works of God. It’s not that we think they were greater than they were; it would be impossible to overestimate the power of a miracle. Our problem is that we underestimate the context in which they take place. More specifically, we tend to forget the messy, even hopeless, circumstances preceding them.
The great Exodus of Israel from Egypt was preceded by centuries of slavery in Egypt and increasingly bitter bondage. David’s victory over Goliath was preceded by Israel’s humiliation as the army cowered before the giant in the Valley of Elah. Elijah’s calling down fire from Heaven on Mount Caramel was preceded by the gross idolatry into which Ahab and Jezebel led the nation of Israel.
The great works of the Holy Spirit are accomplished in moments of great need. It is in times of spiritual decay, discouragement, and confusion that the Spirit of God moves to raise up leaders who rally God’s people to a common goal for the glory of God.
We see this in the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple after the Babylonian captivity. As the Israelites went back to Jerusalem, they found the Temple in ruins. Under the ministry of Ezra and Zerubbabel, work began on it. But then setbacks came, and a pervasive discouragement set in. God sent the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to restore hope, bring unity, and revive spiritual momentum—all by His Spirit.
From this story, we learn what it means on a practical level to be led by the Spirit in the work of the Lord. How does He work in our lives so that the work of God moves forward?
The Spirit Aligns Our Hearts
“Then spake Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the Lord’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God” (Haggai 1:13–14).
There is a lot of attention given to vision. And having a biblically-framed vision for the future is essential for spiritual leaders. But vision without alignment gets a church nowhere.
Business consultant Jim Collins wrote about this in relation to the secular world: “Building a visionary company requires 1 percent vision and 99 percent alignment.” His point was not to devalue vision. But vision without people who will rally together and synergistically work toward its accomplishment is empty.
Before Haggai and Zechariah arrived on the scene, the Israelites had vision. But what God brought through the ministry of these two prophets was alignment. And it came by God’s Spirit. Haggai 1 tells us that God stirred the spirits of Israel’s leaders as well as the spirits of the people to do the work of God. The Holy Spirit brought them individually into a collective unity and momentum.
This kind of individual stirring that leads to collective alignment can only come through the Holy Spirit. The New Testament tells us that even as God gives individual Christians varied spiritual gifts and varied opportunities to use those gifts, they all come of “the same Spirit” and are worked out by “the selfsame Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:4–11).
Think about it this way: You don’t have a different Spirit of God than the people you serve alongside in your church. We all have the same Spirit, and He desires to stir individuals to bring collective momentum. This is alignment.
In fact, the hallmark of a healthy church is alignment. When the Holy Spirit aligns our hearts, we have shared doctrine, mission, vision, strategy, and values. This allows for forward momentum in the work of the Lord.
The Spirit Strengthens Our Hands
“Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:4).
God’s encouragement to Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest, and the people of the land was, “Be strong . . . be strong . . . and work.”
When God’s Spirit stirs people, He starts by calling out leaders to work.
After all, the ministry is work. Paul told Timothy, “If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work” (1 Timothy 3:1).
But this is not a work we can do in our strength. It’s too overwhelming, and the needs are beyond human resources to meet. This is a work for which we need the Holy Spirit’s empowering: “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
We can’t complete God’s work on our own. It doesn’t matter whether we feel weak or strong. What matters is if we are relying on the strength of the Holy Spirit.
Knowing that the Spirit strengthens us no matter our shortcomings settles our fears. The Lord promised His people that His Spirit would remain among them (Haggai 2:5). There was no reason for them to fear. Neither do we have any reason to fear. In fact, we have even less cause to be afraid. The Lord’s Spirit may have dwelt among the children of Israel, but as Christians, we have the Spirit’s presence both among us and within us. He indwells us, and He is strong in our weakness.
The Spirit Points Us to Jesus
Throughout the Old Testament, God laid down markers pointing toward a future Messiah. We see these in almost every Old Testament story, including the rebuilding of the Temple.
Haggai relayed God’s promise to the Israelites: “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9). Some five hundred years later, Jesus stood in that place and declared, “But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple” (Matthew 12:6).
The Holy Spirit is always directing our attention to Jesus. John 15:26 says, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”
We can know we are led by the Spirit when our attention and affection is turned away from ourselves and fixed on Jesus.
As we are led by the Spirit with our focus on Christ, we will have His power to rise to the moment of need in which we serve with courageous strength. How do we do that? We lock arms in alignment with those whom we serve alongside. We rely on God to strengthen our hearts. And we purposefully and continually focus our eyes on Jesus.
This article appears in the latest edition of The Baptist Voice. To view the digital edition, click here.
