A personal faith based illustration inspired by the vision given to Zechariah in the book of Zechariah chapter four.
 
    "Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is  wakened out of his sleep.  And he said to me, "'what do you see?'"
So I said, "'I am looking and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.  Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.'"  So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "'what are these, my lord?'"  
 
Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "'Do you not know what these are?'"
And I said, "'No, my lord.'"
So he answered and 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: 1 - 6 (NKJV)