POLISHING TOOLS

“He hath  . . . made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me.”
(Isaiah 49:1).

I remember arriving at the home of my future husband. I wondered what it would be like. He was the oldest son of nine children and back in those days I was not familiar with large families. There were only three children in our home, and we could be unruly. I didn’t expect things to be perfect!

But I was in for a surprise! There was not a thing out of place. The whole house ran shipshape in perfect order. We arrived in the early morning after a night ride on the old steam engine. That night was to be Colin’s 21^st birthday. I had only been in the home a few hours when his mother gave me Colin’s suit and asked me to press it! Help! I knew how to iron but we took suits to the dry cleaners! I was on the spot! Somehow, I managed, but I don’t think it was up to par!

Staying on a little longer I noticed how the silverware (the cutlery) had to be polished every week and everything was ironed, even the tea towels and pillowcases! Wow, we didn’t even have that standard in our home with only three children. Anyway, the silver looked beautiful and shiny when it was cleaned each week with the Brasso which we used in those days.

This brings me to my thought for the day found in 2 Timothy 2:20, 21 (BSB): “A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use. So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.”

The most honorable vessels are gold and silver. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15tells us: “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he that built hereupon he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

It is only the gold, silver, and precious stones that will stand the test of fire. However, although gold and silver are expensive and precious, they can tarnish and need regular polishing and shining to show their beautiful gleam. Therefore, to keep gleaming and shining for the Lord, we must yield ourselves to polishing.

We get polished in many ways. God’s powerful Word polishes us as we read it each day. Oh my, I got some polishing this morning as I read some Scriptures that really convicted me. What would we do without our daily doses of the Word to keep us on track?

God also uses circumstances, trials, and tribulations to polish us. We don’t like having to go through them, but they are good polishing rags! And He often uses people. Oh, that’s the hardest. People who rub you up the wrong way and get on your nerves.

How does silver get polished? We have to rub it up and down until it shines. We also often need to be rubbed up and down to get the tarnish out of us so the life of Jesus can shine through.

I think that marriage and motherhood are marvelous polishers. We can come into wifehood and motherhood thinking we are so pious, but we haven’t yet lived so closely with another human being and gradually more human beings who grow bigger and bigger—and no one is perfect! So there’s going to be lots of rubbing up and down. But oh, as we yield to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives and let God polish us, He gradually rubs away the rough spots and the ugly spots and shines us up, confirming us into the image of His dear Son (Romans 8:29).

Therefore, dear fellow wives and mothers, can I encourage you? Don’t resist the polishing., Yield to God’s ways instead of your own way. Let Him expose the spots and blemishes and deal with them. He will cleanse you and make you whole. And make you shine. You will become a shining gem in your home and wherever you go.

PRAYER:

Dear Father, I don’t want to end up tarnished and ugly. But I know I need continual polishing to shine in your kingdom. Help me to yield to all the polishing I need to be a shining vessel for You. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I’m open for regular polishing because I want to shine!

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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