不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能
不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能
Not by Might, Nor by Power
「他對我說：『這是耶和華指示所羅巴伯的。萬軍之耶和華說：不是倚靠勢力，不是倚靠才能，乃是倚靠我的靈方能成事。』」
“Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
平日安慰自己一事無成，最常用的理由不是自己不行，而是懷才不遇，無人幫忙。然而，首先自己想做的，可能根本就是跟風隨大流的事，只是為了證明當時的自己，長遠看來卻無足輕重；其次，我們沒有靜下心來傾聽自己內心的聲音，尋求神真正要自己去完成的是什麼，並像挪亞那樣，用一生的堅持去完成祂所託付的使命。
When we comfort ourselves over a life that seems to have accomplished little, our most common excuse is rarely that we lack ability. More often, we blame circumstances—we tell ourselves that we never had the right opportunities or the help we needed. Yet what we once longed to achieve may have been nothing more than following the crowd, pursuing what everyone else valued simply to prove ourselves. In the long run, such pursuits often prove to be of little lasting significance. Even more importantly, we seldom become still enough to listen to the quiet voice within, seeking what God truly intends for us to accomplish. Like Noah, who devoted the better part of a century to building an ark before a single drop of rain had fallen, we are called to persevere faithfully throughout our lives in the work God has entrusted to us.
聖經裡許多人物，都不是因為他們本來就強大，而是因著神的同在，完成了自己原本無法完成的使命。摩西帶領數百萬人出埃及，面對法老的追殺、會眾的悖逆，甚至親哥哥和親妹妹的質疑，若不是完全依靠神，早就被撕成碎片了。大衛一生都在爭戰，掃羅要殺他，跟隨他的人因家屬被擄而幾乎要用石頭打死他，晚年連自己的兒子也背叛他，他唯一能依靠的就是神。有神的同在，沙漠能湧出泉水，枯骨能重新復活，亡國中的餘民也能重建聖殿。
Many of the great figures in Scripture were not remarkable because they possessed extraordinary strength. Rather, they became extraordinary because God was with them, enabling them to fulfill missions that would have been impossible by human strength alone. Moses led millions of Israelites out of Egypt while facing Pharaoh’s relentless pursuit, the constant rebellion of the people, and even the doubts of his own brother and sister. Without complete dependence upon God, he would have been crushed long before reaching the Promised Land. David’s life was likewise marked by continual conflict. Saul sought to kill him. His own followers nearly stoned him after their families were taken captive. In his old age, even his son Absalom rose in rebellion against him. Through it all, God remained his only unfailing refuge. Where God’s presence abides, deserts yield springs of water, dry bones live again, and even the scattered remnant of a fallen nation can rebuild the Temple.
因此，這節經文不只是給所羅巴伯的鼓勵，也是給每一個人的提醒。神的靈是完全的、公義的，祂使萬事互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處。我們真正的問題，往往不是缺少勢力，也不是缺少才能，而是沒有真正學會依靠神的靈。當我們不再一味追逐外在的權勢和能力，而是先尋求神的心意，順服聖靈的帶領，祂就能成就那些人憑自己永遠無法完成的事。
For this reason, the words spoken to Zerubbabel are not merely an encouragement to one leader in Israel’s history; they are a reminder for every believer. The Spirit of God is perfect and righteous. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Our greatest problem is often not a lack of influence, nor a lack of talent, but that we have never truly learned to rely upon the Spirit of God. When we cease striving after worldly power and human ability, and instead seek God’s will first, submitting ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit, He is able to accomplish through us what we could never accomplish by our own strength.
