So 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 Zechariah 4:6 NIV
After fifty years of limited vision, I noticed some changes, and they weren't good. I was bumping into things more often. It took me longer to read at the highest magnification available at the time. The little bit of eyesight I had was becoming smaller, and this meant I could no longer get through life as I had before, BUT I had to learn to live as a blind woman.
This daunting task towered over me, and as I stood in the shadows of what I had to achieve, I trembled. How would I learn all the skills necessary for life? I knew the only way I would accomplish such an impossible task was through the power of God, so I begged Him to help me if He didn't heal me.
Learning to navigate my world with a white cane and later with a guide dog came more easily to me than the other skills, although the guide dog training was mentally and physically exhausting.
Learning to use a computer with software that reads and speaks everything to me was very frustrating. Then there was Braille. I struggled every day with Braille, trying to figure out which position the little dots under my fingertip were in and which letter or letters they represented. I also discovered that learning becomes much more difficult after you become older. I had been an amazing student in school, but now I had to work harder to adopt these skills. Both the computer and Braille required lots of memorization. Even the cell phones with Siri, your personal assistant, and a voice-over feature for the blind had a steep learning curve.
Many times, I ended up in tears because I would get stuck on the Braille or a computer task. I had to remind myself not to rely on myself continuously, but on the Holy Spirit.
Would you agree that we tend to rely on our own strength more than we think we do? We pray and ask God for His help, but often we return to the task at hand only to become frustrated when we encounter problems.
Do you think Zerubbabel felt that way when he encountered multiple problems while rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem? After a long captivity in Babylon, the Jewish people had been allowed to return home to their beloved Jerusalem only to find it in ruins. They went to work to rebuild the temple with grief-stricken hearts. As they worked, they faced opposition from outsiders, forcing them to keep their swords ready. They also fought the same enemy we do, discouragement.
Discouragement is the root problem I faced while learning the skills to live a successful life as a blind woman. We get discouraged when we rely on ourselves or others, but when we rely on the Holy Spirit, we have no reason for that type of discouragement to weigh us down.
That's why God told Zerubbabel, through a prophetic word to Zechariah, that he would succeed in the building project when he relied primarily on the Holy Spirit.
Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.(Zech. 4:6B)
Due to all the opposition, Zerubbabel feared he might never see his finished project. God encouraged him with this promise.
Many theologians agree that might refers to the strength of numbers and power to the strength within, but the strength of the Holy Spirit carried Zerubbabel through, and it carries us through as well.
What challenges are you facing today, my friend? Do you fear failure? How can the words of God to Zerubbabel encourage you in your situation?
Don't feel unequipped to handle what you are facing, even though that's the normal way we respond. Instead, spend time in prayer and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish your goals. When you get frustrated, go to God and tell Him, but don't rely on your own strength; do what only the Lord's strength can accomplish. I relied on God's promises to finish my hard work. What promise from God will encourage you as you give this over to God?
Heavenly Father, I can do nothing on my own. I can get through this season only with Your help. I am trying not to depend on myself or others, but on You, Lord. I trust You
will walk this journey with me. Thank You for all You do. Amen.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Emma Simpson
Carolyn Dale Newell is a best-selling author and certified speaker. She knows the bitter taste of suffering from blindness to chronic pain. Her passion is to encourage women to keep their eyes on Jesus and not their circumstances in her devotional, Embers of Endurance: Rising Above Chronic Pain and Illness. You can connect with Carolyn on her website and her women’s ministry group on Facebook.
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Friday, 08 May 2026.
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