December 29

”Does the ax raise itself above him who swings it, or the saw boast against him who uses it? As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up, or a club brandish him who is not wood!" (Isaiah 10:15 NIV)

The Bible speaks sometimes about people who carry out God's intentions on earth, as God's tools. Ananias received a message in a vision that Paul, whom he feared greatly, was chosen to be a tool, an agent for God.

A tool cannot really do too much by itself. The most expensive screwdriver cannot tighten a single screw and the best-made hammer cannot hit a single nail by itself. It makes no sense to ask, Is it a good screwdriver? Is it a good hammer? Everything depends on the skill of the person holding the handle, the one using the tool. Nor is it meaningful to ask whether the tool is good or evil. It depends on what purpose the user has. The tool can be used for good, but it can also be used for destruction.

It is good for us to see ourselves as instruments in God's hands. If our ego becomes an end in itself, it is devastating. But if we think of our ego as a means, it is liberating and emancipating. God wants to use us for His purposes.

Prayer

Lord, I want to make myself available to You today. Use me for Your good intentions. You know best how to use me for the results to be as good as possible.