Axes and Saws in God's Hands
What basis do any of us have for boasting? We have life because God gave it to us. If we are able to learn and accomplish anything, it is by the grace of God. Our salvation comes from the finished work of Jesus, not by our own merit. Then, if God uses us to do His will in any way, it is not in our power, but in His. Therefore, we have no reason to boast in ourselves only in Him. (Isaiah 10:15) We need to learn this lesson that Isaiah taught for Assyria and Israel to learn many years ago.
The truth is that we are just the ax that God uses to do His will. If He uses us to cut down an enemy, as He used Assyria to punish Israel, we must not boast in what we were able to do. If God lifts us up like a rod or a staff, we have nowhere to boast. It is His hand that wields us in all of these cases. We are not able to do anything, if He does not choose to empower and guide us. Therefore, all boasting is sin, except when we boast of the Lord and His gracious love that blesses us and uses us in so many ways.
I pray that we will all be humble, so that everyone around us will see that God is our all in all. That way they can realize the reality about their sins weakness, so they can turn to the Only One who can save them and use them for His purposes.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 11-13.
The truth is that we are just the ax that God uses to do His will. If He uses us to cut down an enemy, as He used Assyria to punish Israel, we must not boast in what we were able to do. If God lifts us up like a rod or a staff, we have nowhere to boast. It is His hand that wields us in all of these cases. We are not able to do anything, if He does not choose to empower and guide us. Therefore, all boasting is sin, except when we boast of the Lord and His gracious love that blesses us and uses us in so many ways.
I pray that we will all be humble, so that everyone around us will see that God is our all in all. That way they can realize the reality about their sins weakness, so they can turn to the Only One who can save them and use them for His purposes.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Isaiah 11-13.