Chopping Wood
Ecclesiastes 10:10 If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength
is needed but skill will bring success.
There's an old story told about two woodcutters who were in a forest. They were
being paid commission for every log that they chopped. Both of them were
ambitious and wanted to out do the other. One of the woodcutters spent all day
chopping logs, without taking a break. He supposed that if he continued working,
he would be able get more logs done than his rival.
The second woodcutter took a break every hour for five minutes. At the end of
the day, he had taken ten breaks. The first woodcutter believed that he had
outpaced his rival, but when it came to tallying the amount of logs that were
actually chopped, the second woodcutter had the largest pile and earned more
commission.
"How did you do that?" Asked the first woodcutter. "How did you manage to chop
more logs than me, with all those breaks?"
"Each time, I took a break, " answered the second woodcutter, " I sharpened my
axe. It meant I could chop more logs than you in the latter part of the day."
The same applies to what we do with our spirituality. If we're not taking time
to sharpen our souls with prayer, Bible reading, and worship, then our
connection to God becomes blunt, and our faith is almost useless in times of
trial. In midst of all our busy-ness, we need to take time out to be with God,
to focus on Christ, and to be re-sharpened by the Holy Spirit.
Your commitment to reading these devotionals is a step in the right direction,
but don't make this your only break in the day to be with God. Snatch some
precious moments each hour to ask for guidance, to give Him thanks, and to
re-read today's scripture. In doing so, you will discover a new strength and
spiritual stamina within you, which will enable you to overcome and complete all
that you face today.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are precious to us and we know that we need to
strengthen our relationship with You. Help us today to make the right moves and
take the right steps, which will enhance our faith and sharpen our souls, so
that we may better serve You, and attract others to Your Kingdom. In Your Holy
Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart traqair@aol.com
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA