Happy Friday, {{first_name | everyone}}!
We’ve covered quite a bit this week - let’s land the plane.
But first, enjoy one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes:
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
In today’s email…
🎁 A recap of everything we covered this week
💬 The best new habit to form this year
📚 In case you missed it…
MEMORIZE 🧠
____ __ ___ __ __, “____ __ ___ ____ __ ___ ____ __ ________: ___ __ _____, ___ __ _____, ___ __ __ _____, ____ ___ ____ __ _____.
Zechariah 4:6
CONTEXT 📕
I have loved walking through Zechariah 4:6 with you this week! Here’s a recap of what we covered…
On Monday, we stepped into the world of Zechariah: a tired people trying to rebuild their lives after Babylonian exile. Their “new beginning” felt anything but new. And into that discouragement, God spoke an encouraging word:
My Spirit will finish what your human strength cannot.
On Tuesday, we saw how Zerubbabel was facing a mountain of opposition. And we learned about a vision of a lampstand being fed by a never-ending flow of oil, an Old Testament foreshadowing of the Holy Spirit and God’s way of saying, “I am the source of unending spiritual supply.”
We then looked at the heartbeat of the whole chapter (and our memory verse):
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
On Wednesday, we learned three simple Hebrew words that gave us a richer understanding of God’s providence in our life.
Might (collective strength)
Power (personal ability)
Spirit (the breath and presence of God)
As a trio they reminded us that God isn’t asking us to be extraordinary in our own strength. He wants us to be dependent on Him and His strength.
On Thursday, we made the bridge to Jesus. Zechariah’s promises aren’t just ancient encouragements, though they can feel that way at times. They point us straight to Jesus:
Jesus is the true Priest who gives us eternally clean garments by forgiving us for our sins
Jesus is the true King who reigns forever and perfectly
Jesus is the true Temple where God’s presence was embodied fully
And by His Spirit, Jesus now lives His life in us — not by our might, not our power, but His.
For us this week, the message to internalize from Zechariah 4:6 is not simply “try less.”
God is not asking you to be stronger in your own strength this year.
God is asking you to be more dependent on Him, the never-ending supply of strength.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
APPLY AND RESPOND 🏃♂
Most are running on their own kind of fuel. They wake up each day striving, pushing, hoping that their strength will be enough to handle what’s next. You may even feel the same way — tired and worn down from trying to do everything yourself.
But Zechariah 4 reminds us of a better source:
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
The lamp in Zechariah’s vision kept shining because the oil never stopped flowing. Its power wasn’t self‑generated. It was supplied.
That’s the kind of renewable energy the Christian life runs on — strength that comes fresh from God, not drained from ourselves.
And that’s exactly what the people around you need to hear. They’re weary, running on fumes, trying to keep their own lamps burning.
Here are a few easy ways to gently point people toward a better source of strength:
Ask: “What do you usually do when you’re exhausted or overwhelmed?” (Listen first. Then share one small way you’ve learned to lean on God instead of just pushing through.)
Say: “I realized I was trying to handle everything on my own, and it was wearing me out. Lately I’ve been asking God for help instead—and it’s made a difference.”
Share: “I used to think rest or motivation would fix my burnout, but what I really needed was help beyond myself.”
Offer: “If you ever want someone to pray with you or just talk, I’m here.”
Small, honest moments like these open the door to something deeper.
The same Spirit who kept that golden lamp burning is the Spirit who lives in you —steady, sufficient, and never running dry. And that’s a kind of power the world can’t produce.
TOGETHER WITH THE FLYOVER
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RESOURCES 📚
Here are a few resources to help you dig deeper:
📚 Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms by Justin Whitmel Earley (link)
📚 The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith by Gretchen Saffles (link)
📚 Faith Habits: And How to Form Them by Emma Timms (link)
📚 Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi by Joyce Baldwin (link)
📹 Book of Zechariah by BibleProject (link)
🎵 Come As You Are by Crowder (Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music | Full Malachi Daily Playlist)
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ANSWER KEY ✅
Then 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 of hosts.
Zechariah 4:6
Have a blessed weekend!
Best,
The Malachi Daily team 🙏
Today’s Contributors
Payton is a husband and father in Vero Beach, FL. He serves as the Email Marketing Manager at Faith Driven Entrepreneur and helps Christians master storytelling through his newsletter, Christian Story Lab.
Kieran is a husband and father living in NJ. In addition to Malachi Daily, he writes a personal newsletter about the intersection of faith, fatherhood and entrepreneurship.
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