The Flight of the Spirit

UV 1112/10,000 The Flight of the Spirit

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 v 4

Zerubbabel, a ruler and Joshua, the high priest were both commanded to be strong and to work for the Lord. Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David and he was used to fulfil the mission of re-building the temple at Jerusalem. The word “yet” implied that even when circumstances are not favourable we should stand for God. Faith does not make a person a weakling. We have a priestly vision and a kingly mission. Our faith constantly strengthens us to fulfil our God-given vision and mission in life. The source of the strength is the Lord Himself. Since He is with us we can be daring, optimistic risk takers and leaders. But the Lord exhorts not just the leaders but all people to be strong, to be courageous and to be active for the Lord.


The Lord of all angels and saints of heaven is the One who is with us. He resides in us and with us. He who is with us is greater than he who is with the world. He instils strength and power in us through His inspired word. He enables us to identify and overcome our weaknesses. He gives us the wings of the Word and prayer to enable us to fly high above our circumstances. God does not solve our problems for us. He enables us to rise high above our problems as an eagle flies over the mountains. His strength will not only rise up in us as we wait on the Lord to fulfil His promise or to answer our prayer but it will cause us to rise up. When we fly over our problems we gain a perspective. We no longer pray or wish for their removal or disappearance but thank God that He has made them the cause of our strength. This is not the flight of imagination but the flight of the spirit. The eagle soars with impunity even as the lion roars below as its paws or its teeth cannot harm or maim the eagle. The uni-verse exhorts us to be strong in faith, to work in building the kingdom of God. To be strong also means to be fearless and mindless of the consequences. Fear limits one’s options while faith expands our options.


The references to “son of….” implies that God sees our life’s work beyond our own generation. He sees the spiritual legacy left behind by our fathers and that which we will leave behind. We are commanded to be strong in our present circumstances. He knows that left to our own each of us has little strength but when we connect by faith to the abundance of His power and grace, our ability and strength knows no limits. Today, “ I AM” is with us. The one who is the way, the truth and the life is with us. The Holy Spirit is with us. Any increase in faith in a person is synonymous with an increase in strength, power and effectiveness. As we trust in the Lord and His Word, our strength will be constantly renewed.

Prateep V Philip