Opening Verse
“If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.”
(Ecclesiastes 10:10, KJV)
Introduction
God has given us the exact tools we need to live for Him. But when we try to do His work our own way, it’s like trying to cut wood with a pickaxe — frustrating and ineffective. We need to use the gifts and wisdom God provides.
Devotional Story
There was a man who once set out to build a simple cabin in the woods. He brought along a heavy pickaxe, thinking he could use it for everything. He hacked at the trees, but the results were poor and slow. His arms grew tired, and the trees remained standing.
One day, an old carpenter walked by and handed him a sharp axe. “You need the right tool,” he said. With a few clean swings of the axe, the trees fell easily.
The man realized something important: strength alone wasn’t enough — he needed the right tool. In the same way, God has equipped each believer with spiritual gifts, wisdom, and His Word. We cannot build His kingdom using the wrong tools or human strength. We need to use what God gives, in the way He instructs.
What This Means
God has not left us to figure out life on our own. He has given us His Spirit, His Word, and the specific gifts we need. When we rely on our own wisdom or ways, we labor harder and accomplish less. When we use what He has given — and follow His lead — the work becomes fruitful and filled with His power.
Think About This
Are you swinging a pickaxe where God has given you an axe? Are you striving in your own strength instead of leaning on the tools God has placed in your hands?
Prayer
Lord, teach me to stop relying on my own ways. Open my eyes to the tools and gifts You have given me. Help me to use Your Word, Your Spirit, and Your wisdom as I walk through each day. I surrender my methods and take up Your ways, trusting that Your way is always best. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Closing Verse
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”
(Zechariah 4:6, KJV)
