Speaking Grace to the Mountains (originally posted on FB July 9, 2009)

I did a bible study several years ago called “The Covenant” by James Garlow, and one of the teaching points in it has stuck with me and has become even more relevant in my life in recent days. One of the items in studying the New Covenant is the exchange of symbolic items; one in particular is the exchange of belts representing strengths or assets. Our weakness for God’s strength, our poverty for His glorious riches, who wouldn’t make that exchange? The key is all about being willing to walk in His strength and not your own. This is one of those discipline issues. Choosing to give yourself over to the one who holds all power and relinquishing your feeble control over areas of your life. This would be, and still is my lifetime battle.

Many of you know we are leading our church in a building program, not for the purpose of a beautiful building, but to have a better tool to facilitate ministry. This journey has been relentless in shaping and refining my ability to walk in trust and faith, to really exchange my weakness and poverty for His strength and provision. It has been amazing the shaping taking place in so many hearts and lives of our church family. The growth of faith and standing firm for what God has placed in their hearts has been awesome.

One of the items from the bible study years ago that I keep calling on was a deeper understanding of grace and its role in “strength”. In the study it gives a fuller definition as “Grace, biblically understood, is God’s willingness to unleash His power in my behalf though I don’t deserve it.” (p.37) Then the biblical example comes from Zechariah 4:6,7 ““Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"’"

The author summarizes it this way, “God is telling Zerubbabel to “speak grace” to a mountain. What does that mean? It means He’s going to partner with you. “Together we’ll bring this mountain down and make it a plain,” God says. (p.38) I love that, speaking grace to my battles, fears and weaknesses: grace.

Today I am reminded once again that God is willing to unleash His power in my behalf (by grace) to bring the mountains in my life down, as I exchange my weakness for His strength. So if you see me driving by the property and mouthing the words “grace” know that I am putting into motion one of the great exchanges that God has promised through the covenant, my weakness for His strength and choosing to walk by faith for all that He has in store for us, by grace!