Zerubbabel to Jezreel

I received a powerful revelation that I have to share as my obedience is required. Part of the journey with God is that he will never condemn you but he will speak clearly and with conviction. Which is so exciting in my walk with the word of God. He truly does speak through his word if you seek him first. Seeking God's will first was not where I was less than two years ago. However, when its you are ready to surrender and find freedom from rebellion God is there waiting on you with open arms. There is nothing you can do to stop his will and purpose for your life. All you have to do is repent, release and realize that we all have fallen, failed and forgotten who we truly are. This revelation gave me so much encouragement, grace and confirmation and I hope it does the same for you.

JUST BE

4/4/20264 min read

Zerubbabel to Jezreel

The past two years have transformed my life in ways I never imagined. After years of striving in my own strength, I finally surrendered and rededicated my life to Jesus Christ. Shortly afterward, I was baptized, and from that day forward I have experienced His presence in a way I never knew was possible.

Looking back, I cannot believe how much time I spent living in spiritual ignorance. From the outside, my life appeared to be in order. I attended Christian schools, memorized Scripture, sang worship songs in chapel, and knew many of the stories of the Bible. Yet despite all of that religious activity, I had never truly developed an intimate relationship with God.

I knew about Him, but I did not know Him.

That was the difference.

Religion taught me information. Relationship transformed my heart.

I am certainly not claiming perfection. I still repent daily, and I continue to depend completely on God's grace. Yet today I live from a place of authority, humility, and victory that I never knew before. When the Holy Spirit convicts me, I no longer hide in shame. I repent quickly because I know I am already loved by my Heavenly Father.

Since encountering Christ so personally during what I call my "Jesus year" at thirty-three, I have felt a new boldness and confidence rising within me. Not confidence in myself, but confidence in the One who saved me.

God rescued me from death.

He restored my identity.

He transformed my heart.

The beautiful realization is that He was guiding me all along. Even when I could not recognize His hand, He remained faithful. That is the beauty of surrender. Jesus truly is Savior. He proved His love by laying down His life for us. I honestly cannot think of another person who would willingly die in my place, yet Christ did exactly that.

Knowing that my Savior has never lost a battle changes everything. His victory becomes the foundation of my confidence.

For years I lived surrounded by lies, deception, and conditional love. It became so familiar that I mistook it for normal. Then one day the words of the old song came to mind: "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone." That perfectly described what God was doing in my life.

During one of my Bible studies, I became captivated by Zerubbabel.

Although I had read through Scripture before, I had never paid close attention to this descendant of David—the governor of Judah who led God's people in rebuilding the Temple after exile. As I studied, I asked the Holy Spirit to guard my eyes, my ears, and my heart so that I would hear only what He wanted to teach me.

Soon afterward, I listened to a devotional that explained the meaning of Zerubbabel's name: "seed of Babylon."

That definition stopped me.

Immediately, I felt both conviction and relief.

I realized that I no longer had to carry the shame of my past, my environment, or my culture. Like Zerubbabel, I had been born into a broken world. Scripture teaches that we all inherit a fallen nature because of sin. Yet God delights in redeeming what has been broken and rebuilding what has been ruined.

That realization gave new meaning to Zechariah 4:6:

"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty.

For years I believed my success depended upon my résumé, my work ethic, my championships, my reputation, or my ability to earn approval from others. Ambition slowly became idolatry.

Then God lovingly reminded me:

It will never be your strength.

It will never be your accomplishments.

It will always be My Spirit.

That truth humbled me and, at the same time, brought incredible peace. The world celebrates hustle, competition, and self-sufficiency. God's Kingdom invites us into dependence.

On paper, I had checked every box that society said would produce success. Yet somewhere along the way, I forgot that I am not merely a citizen of this world—I am a daughter of the Kingdom of God.

The Holy Spirit brought me to 1 John 2:15–17:

"Do not love the world or anything in the world... For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world... Whoever does the will of God lives forever."

Those verses reminded me that life is not about building my own kingdom.

It is about surrendering to His.

Not my will, but His will be done.

Only then do we begin to walk in the inheritance God has already prepared for His children.

From Zerubbabel to Jezreel

As I continued reading, God led me to the book of Hosea.

There I encountered another name that captivated me: Jezreel.

Hosea's family became a living illustration of both God's judgment and His extraordinary mercy. His children bore names that reflected Israel's rebellion, yet those same names ultimately pointed toward redemption.

The name Jezreel means "God sows" or "God plants."

What once symbolized judgment became a promise of restoration.

God has always specialized in transforming what appears hopeless.

He takes shame and produces purpose.

He takes brokenness and produces beauty.

He takes rebellion and offers reconciliation.

The Lord later declared through Hosea that Judah and Israel would once again be united under one leader (Hosea 1:11). What had been divided would become one.

That is the heart of the Gospel.

Only God has the authority to pronounce judgment.

Only God has the power to reverse it through His mercy.

This is why I no longer live under shame. I live under grace.

This is not a message that excuses sin.

It is a testimony of repentance, maturity, transformation, and restoration.

My prayer is that God brings each of us into our own "Zerubbabel season"—a season of rebuilding the temple of our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit—and then into our "Jezreel season," where He plants hope, restores what was lost, and brings His people together under His perfect will.

If God could rebuild Jerusalem after exile, He can rebuild your life.

If God could restore Israel after rebellion, He can restore your heart.

There is hope.

There is restoration.

There is redemption.

Come home to the Father.

He has been waiting for you all along.

KISS (Keep It Simple & Sanctified)

Prayer Works!

Connecting hearts through the power of prayer.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:37-39

Connect

Join Us in Community Prayer

pray@byobinchrist.com

Email Us Requests

pray@byobinchrist.com