That's Blunt

Daily Reading:  Ecclesiastes 9-10

Scripture Focus: If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. Ecclesiastes 10:10

Devotional Thought: Have you ever heard the expression, “Work smarter, not harder”?  We could also say, “Work wiser, not foolishly.”  This is a modern-day version of what Solomon is emphasizing in Ecclesiastes.  Considered to be the wisest man in Biblical history, Solomon’s wisdom was given to him by God.  He has a lot to say about the behavior of fools compared to acting with wisdom.  One of the proverbial statements he makes is, “If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed,” (v10).

This imagery brings to mind a different New Testament passage.  In Ephesians 6, Paul instructs believers to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil,” (Eph. 6:11).  One of these items is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  How effective is a blunt sword?  About as effective as a blunt iron.  Solomon’s wisdom in Ecclesiastes may pertain to a literal sword or axe, but his advice is as figuratively practical as it is literally practical.

How does our sword become blunt?  When we neglect to sharpen the edge, by spending time with the Lord and seeking wisdom and spiritual discernment in the Word of God.  As believers, we wrestle against spiritual forces of evil.  We cannot expect to win battles with blunt swords.  We must recognize our true enemy and the nature of the war in which we fight.  We must be prepared to wield the sword of the Spirit, fighting the enemy with the Word of God, against which no evil can stand.  We also should be “praying at all times in the Spirit… keep[ing] alert with all perseverance,” (v18).  We need not fear our enemy when we arm ourselves in the Lord!

Jenny

Prayer: Lord, when we think of the power of our enemy, it sometimes seems overwhelming.  Help us to recognize our enemy and be prepared to stand against him.  Against You nothing shall stand!

Psalm of the Day:  5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. 7 He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head. (Psalms 110:5-7)