Sharpen Your Ax
In Solomon's day they used iron axes to cut trees. It was hard work. However, if the iron was blunt or dull, it was especially difficult. The only way to cut with a blunt ax was to use more strength, and strike the wood with brute force enough to gnaw it away. The key to making cutting successful and quick was to sharpen the ax. Then, the chopping went quickly and well. Solomon was inspired by God to use this as an illustration about how we need to be sharpened by learning God's wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 10:10) This is how God equips us to succeed in life.
Sometimes, we hear people say that we need to work smarter not harder. Other times, people talk about whether we use our backs or our brains. Both point to this truth. God wants us to be able to do the work that He has for us with ease and not with difficulty, most of the time. However, if we fail to go to Him for His wisdom in our daily walk, then, we can get dull to His ways, and we can simply begin to try to force life to go well by our own intelligence and strength. That never works well. We find that our skills are not sufficient for His work. We can try harder, but we still fail. Then, Satan tries to tell us, we just can't do God's will. That is a lie. We are all weak, so we all need God's wisdom, so we can do the work in His way and with His power. If we do, we will see that He gives us much success.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 11-12 and Song of Solomon 1.
Sometimes, we hear people say that we need to work smarter not harder. Other times, people talk about whether we use our backs or our brains. Both point to this truth. God wants us to be able to do the work that He has for us with ease and not with difficulty, most of the time. However, if we fail to go to Him for His wisdom in our daily walk, then, we can get dull to His ways, and we can simply begin to try to force life to go well by our own intelligence and strength. That never works well. We find that our skills are not sufficient for His work. We can try harder, but we still fail. Then, Satan tries to tell us, we just can't do God's will. That is a lie. We are all weak, so we all need God's wisdom, so we can do the work in His way and with His power. If we do, we will see that He gives us much success.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 11-12 and Song of Solomon 1.