Weapons of Warfare
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman
02-18-2012
"Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears." - Joel 3:10a
In this third chapter of Joel, we hear the prophet describe a time yet
to come. It will be a time of great harvest on the earth, and this verse
describes the catalyst. A plowshare is an agricultural instrument used
to till the soil. At this point in history, it was a tool that spoke of
one's vocation. However, the prophet was speaking of a time yet to come.
The prophet described the plowshare as an instrument that will be
turned into a sword. The sword is often used in the Bible to describe
God's Word. The only way a plowshare can be turned into a sword is for
it to go through extreme heat, and then the blacksmith must beat that
plowshare into shape. Heat and punishment of the metal turns that
plowshare into an instrument of battle. God must do this in each of our
lives in order for us to be useable as a worthy sword. We are all in a
battle - a spiritual battle. Paul describes our battle as one against
the principalities of the unseen world. I believe God is going to raise
up many in the workplace to use their plowshare as a weapon of
righteousness in these last days. That weapon won't be used for
destruction, but as a weapon of love. That weapon of love will yield a
great harvest in our lifetime. But this is only part of the story.
God is also going to turn our pruning hooks into spears. A pruning hook
is used in two ways. First, it is used to prune a tree for greater
growth and productivity. It is also used to cut the fruit from taller
trees in which one cannot reach the fruit. This fruit from our vocation
is going to be cast forth like a spear, but even more as seed planted to
bring the harvest of which Joel speaks. Fruit from our work life is
often the financial rewards generated. God wants to use our finances and
everything else for His purposes. We must use our vocations and the
fruit that comes from them as seed to bring the great harvest that God
is planning.
How are you using your plowshare and your pruning hook for God's glory
today? Ask God to show you how He wants to use your skills, resources,
and relationships to prepare for the great harvest He has planned.
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