There are two types of people, those who like the safety of the status quo and those who refuse to be tied to the past.
God wants us to leap into his future, to take advantage of what he has to offer, and to move ahead in him.
And still, we have the mortgage payment, our health insurance, and the kid’s new shoes to buy. How can we leap forward for God when we are tied to the real world all around us?
Let’s look at 3 motivations we can take from Zerubbabel and apply them to our lives.
Motivation No. 1:
Zerubbabel was a captive. He started in life’s lowest state. He had nowhere to look but up, and there, he found his motivation in God.
Ezra 3:2, 8 gives us Zerubbabel’s backstory.
“Then … Zerubbabel … built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, [and] Zerubbabel … made a beginning, together with … all who had come to Jerusalem from the captivity.”
Motivation No. 2:
Zerubbabel found motivation in his call from God. He took God’s charge on his life as a personal responsibility.
Ezra 4:3 reveals Zerubbabel’s strength of purpose.
“But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest … said to them, ‘You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.’ ”
Motivation No. 3:
Zerubbabel chose obedience over personal gain. His motivation was to please God and do his divine will.
Haggai 1:12 shows the result.
“Then Zerubbabel … obeyed the voice of the Lord … as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.”
Let’s apply these to how we must live today:
1. Our starting place doesn’t determine where God is able to take us.
2. Our Christian walk depends on us, not those around us.
3. God must take first place in every decision we make.
Our total focus on God is our benchmark for our success in him.
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Code: FGO.J.27.19h.vp.esv