'A Polished Arrow'

Scripture:

Isaiah 49:2

He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid me, He made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in His quiver.”

Observation:

Isaiah has a great understanding and insight for his purpose in God. He is confident in what he has been called to do and where his confidence is placed. .. a mouth like a sharpened sword, and a direction as a polished arrow. He knows that he has not only been prepared by God, but he is also being strategically carried by God – hidden in His hand - and concealed in His quiver. Both these placements speak more of Strategic purpose rather than just a place of protection. Isaiah knew he was more than just an arrow being nurtured; he was in fact a polished arrow. One that had been prepared to hit a target at a given time, to bring the purposes of God to the people.

Application:

I see the challenge of being ‘a polished arrow’ as a preparation and purpose for my own life. In my humanity and weakness I can be quite content to hide in God’s hand, or to find and feel safety in the quiver. But a polished arrow is what God’s desire is for me. To submit myself to His dealings, his processes and knowing that the polishing will be used to make my direction and effectiveness more potent. How often I resist the polishing and hence become ineffective in God’s strategic purposes. I need to stir myself not to see the ‘quiver’ just as a place of safety or rest, but as a place where God carries me ready to be used with accuracy, purpose and potency. I guess there is no place in God’s quiver for any unpolished arrows.

Prayer:

Lord how wonderful are your purposes. Forgive me when I resist the polishing, and when I lose sight of the purpose for why you are doing the polishing. Help me to see more and more of the purpose to be hid in your hand and placed in your strategic quiver. Forgive me when I want to stay in the comfort of the quiver.

Ken Hooper