March 13, 2008

Shall the ax boast itself against him who chops with it? Or shall the saw exalt itself against him who saws with it? As if a rod could wield itself against those who lift it up, or as if a staff could lift up, as if it were not wood! Isaiah 10:15

  A tool is only good in the hand of its master! I could have a perfectly sharp, excellent tool in my hand, but if I don’t know what to do with it, the tool is useless and will never get the job done. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” We too, are ineffective when we do things for God in our own strength or without His leading. Yes, even if they appear to be good works. If we go where he has not sent us, or if we say things He has not led us to say. Our flesh is worthless in a spiritual battle! Remember the seven Sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13? They were using the name of Jesus. Their words even sounded right, but Jesus did not send them. They did not know Him. They were not anointed for that battle, and they got beat up.

  As the Lord’s tools, we must get ourselves prepared, so when God does send us we can be effective in His hands. How do we get ready?

According to Luke 1:17, God will send people and mentors to guide us and teach us where we are being disobedient and to make us ready for the work of the Lord. “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Also Ephesians 4:11-13, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”

Titus 2:14 and 3:1 say, “[Christ] Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work.” So, we must be saved from our sins and go through a purifying process. We must be peculiar, different from the world, and have a passion and a desire to do good works from the faith we possess. We must be able to submit to earthly authority and obey those placed over us in the natural. How can we fully submit and obey our heavenly Father, which we cannot see, before we can submit and obey our earthly authority?

  We must also walk in humility, spend time getting to know the Lord and His voice, learn His word, and we must count the cost, because it will cost us everything!

  We must depend on God and not ourselves for we are created for His use. God will not share His glory! Our ultimate goal is to know Him.

Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. Jeremiah 9:23-24

  If our focus is on knowing Him and hearing Him, He will lead us into good works prepared for us to do. This will keep us from fruitless labor. Be a tool ready for the Master’s hand! Apart from Him we can do nothing.

Janet Fairbrother

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