The Arrow of the Lord

UV 834/10,000 The Arrow of the Lord And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; Isaiah 49 v 2 The Lord has placed His Word which is a double-edged sword right inside our mouth. As long as His Word is in our mouth, we become the very mouth of God. We speak for God and we speak as God. Our words will pierce the heart of the King’s enemies and turn them into friends of God. The words of God are like life-giving bullets that do not take away life but where they lodge they restore life. It is a weapon that heals and delivers. Without the Word in our hearts and minds, we are like spent bullets, empty cartridge cases that have no use. With it implanted in our hearts and minds and always ready to be released like a sharp projectile or an arrow from our mouths, the power of Jehovah El Shaddai will manifest itself in one way or other in our lives. Our minds influenced by the Word become over time like an arrowhead of flintstone that can penetrate the hardest targets. Flint is said to be the hardest stone and it is a metaphor for the determination of our minds and the unflinching commitment of our hearts to the Lord, His Word and His work. Our thoughts,words, emotions, decisions and actions become the shaft that is welded into the arrowhead. The Lord polishes this shaft till it is perfectly smooth and straight. He then hides us in His quiver to be used strategically when He needs to. The quiver is a metaphor for the truth that we are held in the safe custody of the Lord. We need not quiver or shake with fear when we face situations that are overwhelming for we know we are held safely in His quiver. Many people however want to remain safely ensconced in the quiver and never speak up for God. Such individuals fail to fulfil their call to be an arrow for the Lord. An arrow that is never used often gets bent or damaged over time and looses its efficacy. We need to be a sharpened arrow in the hands of the Lord that is constantly in use. When our sharing of the gospel penetrates the hearts of people and changes their lives, we have hit the bull’s eye. Even if it is slightly off mark and hits somewhere on the circle representing their lives, it is still impactful. The shadow of the hand of God is always over us as long as we choose to walk in the umbra of that shadow and not stray into the penumbra or beyond. The Word empowered believer is the weapon of choice for the Lord to deliver many from eternal death and hopelessness. Our hard experiences in life are the means used to give us traction or momentum to reach the God intended targets. The more the bow’s string is pulled back, the faster and farther it goes. Similarly, the more we endure, the more effective and useful will our words be when we share the knowledge of God’s love to people around us. My life threatening experiences are what often speaks into the hearts of people I have shared with. They realize that God is alive and real and acts in accordance with His promise to hide us in the shadow of His hand. Prateep V Philip