How to stay sharp - Daily Devotional May 1st 2010

Daily Bible Reading - Numbers 8, Psalm 44, Song of Solomon 6, Hebrews 6

How to stay sharp

A while ago I was preparing dinner for the family, as I was making the salad I grabbed a tomato as well as a knife and began to slice it. Unfortunately the knife I was attempting to use was so dull instead of slicing through the tomato it began to squish the tomato! The knife was no longer useful, it was no longer working in the way it was designed simply because it was not sharp. One of two things needed to happen, I needed to sharpen the knife or get rid of it and buy a new one. Seeing that my knife sharpening skills were not to the level needed for this knife I chose to buy a new one.

In our reading today out of Hebrews 6:10-12 we are given a key to staying sharp and seeing what we hope for come true. Verses 11 and 12 say "Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent..."

2 Timothy 2:20-21 says "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work."

To remain sharp, to ensure we will receive what we hope for, to continue to be useful for the Lord we must keep on loving others. This sounds so simple but we all know there are times this is easier said then done. There are times everything in you wants to explode on your boss, roommate and yes occasionally a spouse. There are times when you even want to explode on the person that just cut you off in traffic or almost ran you over as you were walking downtown. Although this may be your internal initial reaction we must choose to love and not hate for it is in this loving that we stay sharp.

Today we need to do what it says in 2 Timothy 2:20-21 and cleanse ourselves from a lack of love so that we can continue on in loving people so we remain sharp as it declares in Hebrews 6:10-12. Just as a knife stays sharp through friction with other metal so you and I stay sharp through the friction of loving others even when we really do not want to.

Lets stay sharp today by loving others at all costs.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - Numbers 9, Psalm 45, Song of Solomon 7, Hebrews 7

Dream Big
Katie