Dashrath Manjhi and his friends had a problem.

His community in India stood next to a mountain—and that mountain kept his friends and family from getting to the hospital or buying supplies on the other side.

So here’s what Dashrath did. He took a sledgehammer and some spikes, and he began chipping away. Twenty-two years later, he was done, and there was a passageway from his community to the city on the other side. He cut a gap in the mountain and built a path through it—with just a hammer, spikes, and his bare hands.

Now let’s think about another builder with a big job to do. His name was Zerubbabel. He wasn’t going to chop up a mountain. His job was to rebuild Israel’s magnificent temple in Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (lots of tough names today, right?).

Rebuilding it must have looked impossible. But Zerubbabel had help: the Holy Spirit’s power (look up Zechariah 4:6). Zerubbabel trusted that God would help him (v. 7). And He did.

When there’s a “mountain” before us, we have two choices: rely on our own strength or trust God to help us. When we trust Him, He’ll either get the mountain out of our way or give us the strength to climb over it.

The mountain gap Dashrath created was 360 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 25 feet deep.

Dear God, I’m not sure how to trust the Holy Spirit. So I’m praying that I can feel His presence today as I try to do my best for you.