Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
If the Bible is such a sharp sword, why doesn’t anyone seem to get injured with it these days? At most, it seems the biggest risk is of getting a paper-cut. The Bible is left as a sword rusting in a scabbard, blunt and ineffective.
A student was looking for holiday work to help pay his tuition fees. He approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked him for a job. The foreman told him to grab an axe and show him what he was made off. The young man promptly felled the nearest tree, and was awarded a provisional contract. Come Wednesday evening, however, the young man was called in by the foreman: “Today’s your last day, here’s your paycheck for the last three days.” The student was distraught: “Why are you firing me? I’m the first one to arrive, the last one to leave, and I work hard all day.” The foreman said: “We’re letting you go because you’ve slipped far behind the others. On Monday you were the fastest but our charts show that today you were the slowest.” Then, sensing there was real integrity in the young man, the foreman suddenly thought of something: “Have you been sharpening your axe?” The student replied: “Well, no Sir. I have been working too hard to take the time.”
How about us? Are we too busy to sharpen our axe? God’s Word is a powerful weapon. And so is prayer. Prayer hones the sharp edge of the axe. Without it, the more work we do, the duller we will get. To stay sharp we need to take time with him in prayer and his Word before going about his work.
Lord, help me recognize this truth today. I choose to be sharp, therefore I choose to spend quality time with you. Amen!
Leave a Reply