“Beat your ploughshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, “I am strong!” Joel 3:10 (NIV)
The moment she saw her, Deborah realised that something wasn’t quite right with her colleague Sue because she’d been moping around the office that morning, which was very unlike her normal ebullient self. So, out of concern, she ventured to ask the first question that popped into her head. She said ‘Is it man problem?’ Sue was quite taken aback by Deborah’s directness, but also relieved that anyone cared about her. So she opened up to her and this became an opportunity for Deborah to share Jesus Christ with her colleague and the truth of God’s word made an impact in her life.
In Exodus 4:2-3, the bible records the dialogue that ensued between God and Moses. It reads: “Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.” The bible later recorded that the snake became restored to the original staff the moment Moses picked it up by the tail. However, for both Moses and his now anointed staff things were never the same again.
The staff was none other than the shepherd’s crook that Moses used to herd his father-in-law’s sheep. It was a tool and symbol of his profession; the job God had called him to do at that specific time. Nevertheless, in the above story, God was now challenging Moses to lay down his staff so that He could anoint and transform it into a sceptre – a symbol of divine power. Moses had a distinct choice to either obey or disobey God. He nevertheless chose the former and the rest is now history.
God is now asking you to take the same step. He wants you to surrender the staff of your profession for His use, so that He can anoint and use it for fulfilling the purpose of His kingdom. Like He said through Joel, He wants you to “Beat your plough shares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears”. This means that He wants you to adapt the means of making your livelihood into a means for effectively prosecuting spiritual warfare. God wants you to use your work for propagating the gospel of His kingdom. You do have the power to make a difference in someone’s life.
David Oliver said that “If work is really spiritual, if it is in reality the place of our calling and destiny, then with the call of God comes the anointing, the power and the workings of God in the changing of lives as they touch ours. If we don’t believe that this is God’s call, we will not expect the anointing, we will not expect God’s life to pulsate through us in our working environment, and sure enough we won’t get it!”
All God is asking of you is that you be willing to lay down your staff and leave the how of transforming it to Him. He is presently pouring out His Holy Spirit afresh like He promised. Do not shut Him out of your job.
Prayer:
Lord, I pray that you anoint me to do an excellent job today and always. I surrender my whole life to you. Use me however, whenever and wherever you will and cause your light to shine through me. Amen.