Abundance In The Bush - Country DevotionsSample

Stay Sharp

The axe helped to pioneer Australia as jungle scrubs fell under the settler’s swing. With skill and stamina, timber cutters swung and razor sharp axes found their mark time and again. Wood rang and echoed through the bush, sap welled up like tears and trees crashed precisely in their planned fall. Limbed trees were cut into logs. Logs were hewn square, fence rails and firewood split. The axe was indispensible and the smart axeman kept his razor sharp. Dull or badly angled axes were deadly dangerous, glancing off surfaces and sometimes into flesh. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Superseded by power saws and machinery, the axe is still a faithful friend to many bushmen today. (Tip for carrying an axe: carry it at its point of balance near its head, edge pointing down, on your downhill side if you are walking on a slope. Carrying it on your shoulder is asking for trouble, especially in the bush.)

God’s Word is razor sharp, never losing its edge, never outdated. It is sharpened by God Himself. It’s alive, and when we read it, the truth tests our heart. It shines a light on what is inside, revealing every ugly and aggro thought. It brings us humbly before our Maker, in desperate need of mercy and forgiveness. (Where else can we find both?) God’s Word is a weapon - the two-edged sword of the Holy Spirit. It defeats the lies of the devil, pulling down every argument that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.

With lots of practice, an axeman wields his axe with skill and stamina. In a similar way, we can confidently depend on God’s Word, get to know it, and use it just like true pioneers!

Thank You Father for Your precious Word. Help me to read it slowly, one word at a time, like it’s brand new. Thank You for the way Your Word changes my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.