Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 4–6; Luke 12 Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus’ kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved.
TODAY’S EPISODE Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible. Today is September 29th, and our readings are Zechariah 4–6 and Luke 12.
Zechariah continues his strange and beautiful visions.
God's people have returned from exile. The temple lies unfinished. The task before Zerubbabel must have seemed enormous.
And into that uncertainty comes one of Scripture's great words:
“It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.”
Not by might.
Not by power.
But by my Spirit.
Then we come to Luke 12, where Jesus warns us about another kind of power.
The power of possessions.
The illusion of control.
The anxiety that tells us we must accumulate enough, protect enough, and plan enough to make ourselves secure.
Jesus tells the story of a rich man who has so much that he decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones.
But Jesus reminds us that life cannot be secured in a barn.
And then he turns toward his disciples and says:
“Don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”
Maybe that's the word for us today.
Not by might.
Not by power.
Not by bigger barns.
Not by controlling everything around us.
But by the Spirit.
And by trusting the heart of the Father who delights in giving us the kingdom.
TODAY’S DEVOTION Not by Might, Not by Power We like big barns.
Maybe we don't call them barns anymore.
But we like them.
We like bank accounts.
Retirement accounts.
Houses.
Careers.
Platforms.
Reputations.
Plans.
We like whatever gives us the feeling that we've finally managed to secure our lives.
And to be clear, there's nothing wrong with planning.
There's nothing wrong with saving.
There's nothing wrong with being responsible.
But Jesus knows how easily these good things can become something else.
They can become the place where we look for life.
Jesus tells a story about a man whose land produces an enormous harvest.
The man looks at everything he has and says:
What am I going to do?
I don't have room for all this.
And then he comes up with a plan.
“I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones.”
Bigger barns.
More storage.
More security.
More control.
And then he says something revealing.
He tells himself that once he has enough stored away, he can finally relax.
Now I'll be safe.
Now I'll be secure.
Now I can live.
But Jesus says:
That's an illusion.
Because your life isn't stored in your barns.
Your life isn't stored in your bank account.
Your life isn't stored in your reputation.
Your life isn't stored in how much control you can exercise over the future.
Your life is in God.
And that brings me back to Zechariah.
Zerubbabel has been given an enormous task.
The temple must be rebuilt.
The mountain in front of him looks overwhelming.
And God's word to him is:
“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.”
I need to hear that.
Because I can spend a lot of energy trying to make things happen.
Trying to manage outcomes.
Trying to get everything lined up just right.
Trying to build a big enough barn so that nothing unexpected can hurt me.
Maybe you know that feeling too.
If I can just get enough money.
If I can just get the right job.
If I can just get everyone to understand me.
If I can just fix this relationship.
If I can just get my health under control.
If I can just make sure my children are okay.
If I can just figure out what's coming next.
Then I can breathe.
Then I'll be safe.
Then I'll have peace.
But Jesus doesn't point us toward bigger barns.
He points us toward the Father.
And then he says something so tender:
“Don't be afraid, little flock.”
I love that.
Don't be afraid, little flock.
Why?
Because you've figured everything out?
No.
Because you've accumulated enough?
No.
Because you've protected yourself from every possible loss?
No.
“Because it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”
There it is.
Gift.
The kingdom is gift.
Life is gift.
Grace is gift.
God himself is gift.
And the Spirit is at work in us and around us in ways we cannot manufacture or control.
Not by might.
Not by power.
But by my Spirit.
Maybe that's...
