I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
Masterpieces in Process
There’s a verse in Proverbs that’s often quaintly quoted when referring to a close friendship or marriage…
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17 NIV
Yes, we want to encourage each other, cheer each other on, and sharpen each other emotionally, physically, and spiritually. But when you truly think about the implications of such a description, this verse is anything but quaint.
Iron is sharpened through heat and friction, through cutting and slicing. As it is beaten, it is reshaped into something beautiful and purposeful and even better than before.
Sharpening is purposeful, but it can also be painful. It’s intentional friction that often results in a purer, stronger, sharper character. We aren’t sharpened by thoughtless, careless, or unintentional relationships, but we are sharpened by those who lovingly help chip away the excess junk—who can recognize and visualize the masterpiece God wants us to become.
We can be sharpened by mentors, pastors, spouses, teachers, and friends. But we can also be sharpened by the dearest friend we have—the Holy Spirit. The part of God who’s considered the third “person” of the Trinity, the One who does the refining work. The Holy Spirit is like a personal and professional metal-worker who is skilled and deliberate, focused and detailed, trustworthy and true.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
When we surrender to God’s refining work inside of us, we can help others see the work of art in themselves. So today, allow God to sharpen you. Ask Him to reveal the parts of your life that need to be refined, and then surrender to the work He wants to do inside you.
A Reminder of God’s Goodness
Nahum’s letter to the people of Judah, in the southern part of Israel, is both a call for repentance and a letter of judgment. The northern tribes had already been exiled to Assyria, and the unfaithfulness of Judah was also leading them into exile.
There's a lot happening in Judah at this time. It's an era of national turmoil. The people have been unfaithful. But rather than focusing on the surrounding dangers or the cultural pressures, Nahum points the people back to the character of God—which never changes.
Nahum reminds us that God is good. Even though the world around Israel was changing rapidly, their God remained the same. He is always good. In the midst of every circumstance, we can trust that God will never change but will always desire what is good for us.
Nahum continues to remind us that God is a refuge in the midst of difficult times. Because God is all-powerful, He can protect you from the dangers of this world. But even when you face hard things, ...
