At one point in their history, Israel had not yet possessed all the land God gave them. Saul was king, but the army was under-equipped.  While trying to possess their Promised Land, the Philistines removed all their weapons. The only blacksmiths were the Philistines, so the Israelites had to go down to the enemy to have their tools sharpened but not well. The Philistines couldn’t keep Israel completely out of their land, but they kept their weapons blunt.

If the devil can’t stop you from entering your promised land, he takes away your weapons and if he can’t do that, he will make sure they are blunt and ineffective. If our axe is dull, our ability to build the house and get to the root of matters in people’s lives; is limited.  And when our sickle is used in the harvest blunt, it only bruises the harvest.

There are battles to be won and in the field the fruit is ready and the harvest is ripe. Fortunately, God has His own “blacksmiths shop” where weapons and harvest tools are created in the fire of devotion or adversity.

Friend, that shop always has a fire that roars. Sometimes it may seem like a dark place where there is hardness and the forging of things with hammers. It may even look like hell. But mostly the fire we see through the darkness is the fire of His presence. As we run to that Fire and sit in His flame, He forges the harvest tools and the love we need. And even when the fire has done its work and our implements are forged into the shape of His heart, time spent close to the "Oiled Stone" will give our life and “sword” the finest edge.