Chopping Wood

Ecclesiastes 10:10 If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.

There's an old story told about two woodcutters who were in a forest. They were being paid commission for every log that they chopped. Both of them were ambitious and wanted to out do the other. One of the woodcutters spent all day chopping logs, without taking a break. He supposed that if he continued working, he would be able get more logs done than his rival.

The second woodcutter took a break every hour for five minutes. At the end of the day, he had taken ten breaks. The first woodcutter believed that he had outpaced his rival, but when it came to tallying the amount of logs that were actually chopped, the second woodcutter had the largest pile and earned more commission.

"How did you do that?" asked the first woodcutter. "How did you manage to chop more logs than me, with all those breaks?"

"Each time, I took a break, " answered the second woodcutter, " I sharpened my axe. It meant I could chop more logs than you in the latter part of the day."

The same applies to what we do with our spirituality. If we're not taking time to sharpen our souls with prayer, Bible reading, and worship, then our connection to God becomes blunt, and our faith is almost useless in times of trial. In midst of all our busy-ness, we need to take time out to be with God, to focus on Christ, and to be re-sharpened by the Holy Spirit.

Your commitment to reading these devotionals is a step in the right direction, but don't make this your only break in the day to be with God. Snatch some precious moments each hour to ask for guidance, to give Him thanks, and to re-read today's scripture. In doing so, you will discover a new strength and spiritual stamina within you, which will enable you to overcome and complete all that you face today.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are precious to us and we know that we need to strengthen our relationship with You. Help us today to make the right moves and take the right steps, which will enhance our faith and sharpen our souls, so that we may better serve You, and attract others to Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.