When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man .
Zech 9:13 [KJV]
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 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; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Isa 49:1 – 3. [KJV]
God wants to make you and I into swords used for the advancement of His counsel on the earth; It is God’s utmost desire to wield us for His Kingdom’s interest. In as much as God desires to have us as swords, God passes us through His weapon’s forge to make us into swords that would not break or disappoint when our need arise.
Like a blacksmith, God processes us according to our individual places of application, we were all created differently but one thing is common though – we are all passed through God’s forging process. God’s making process is in the similitude of blacksmith’s forging of metals. The making process of a life and character fit for God to unsheathe is similar to the processes involved in the making of a good sword.
We are valuable to God the way we are but when we are forged, our worth increases so much that the pressure passed through becomes insignificant. Take for instance the grapes, they have a limited worth as grapes but when they are passed through the wine-press, the limit on their value is broken and their value is multiplied. You are worth something to your Maker, and yet as you go through God’s wine-press and forge, you become even more valuable.
God chose you and I as weapons, in God’s hand we are weapons. God did not choose your religion neither did God choose your organisation or country to be His weapon. God choose you and until you submit to God’s furnace, you’d forever remain in the sheath.
The Lord finds you in your crude form and in you He sees a mighty weapon. You might be the ore of the following metal: copper, silver, gold, iron and steel. But in the ores are buried weapons of various make and designs. Like the Blacksmith, God first had a design for the type of weapon you’d be long before He knitted you together in your mother’s womb. The enemy you’d be wielded against is already out on rampage. The problem you were to solve was already in existence before you were thought of by your maker. There was a battle that necessitated your creation. The first level in God’s forging process is the design level.
The Forging Process.
The blacksmith creates a design for the sword – the purpose for the sword is first stated long before the appropriate metal is sought.
After the design is made, search for the right metal starts. There is the right metal for every type of sword. Swords that would last are different from swords that rusts on little exposure to moisture.
The right metal is then cut into the right size, the size that would fit into the forge.
The cut metal is then forged in the fire and hammered with a hammer. The forging process involves a cycle of a to and fro trip to the forge’s fire and the anvil for blows from the hammer.
The hammered blade is then hardened. This is involves a trip to the water or warm oil. This causes the heat to subside before it is returned to the fire. And then hammered.
The final level is the buffering, polishing/shining and sharpening.
The process listed above is similar to the process God employs to forge His swords.
The Lord finds each and every one of us as a chunk of metal in its raw, ore form and exclaims “this is my sword”. He cuts us to size and passes us through His fire, in His Word, He said:
“when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” for “I will be with thee” – Isa. 43:2. This is true as no blacksmith leaves the furnace to attend to other business when he is forging a weapon. In the furnace is where God teaches us patience and perseverance, in the furnace and on the anvil of life is where God enhances the toughness of our character.
Notice that every sword is hardened by water. For the heating and the hammering and the grinding of the sword not to be wasted, the sword must be hardened using water – for your making process to be effective, the inputs of Water – The Word must not be overlooked – “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word”, – Eph. 5:26.
“Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me” –
The design for the sword you were created to be are all documented in the volume of the Holy Scriptures.
“Is not My Word like a fire? says Jehovah; and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” – Jer 23:29 .
The word of God is the fire which burns in the God’s forge, it is the hammer that beats us into shape.
In the refining of Gideon’s army, the Lord takes them to water to test them, all tests in our forging process is always subjected to water – the Word. Hear this: God’s sword is a spiritual sword for God is a Spirit. When the Word of God becomes a part of you, becomes who you are, then you become God’s sword, his weapon, the more of God’s word you have and are, the more of God’s weapon you’d be. The fire apart from its softening effects also removes impurities.
“ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice on the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also exult in afflictions, knowing that affliction produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope”. Rom. 5:2-4
All the pressure and stress the enemy causes us to pass through only transforms our grapes into wine and our olive into oil – it is only when pressure is applied to the grape that wine flows, all the afflictions we pass through are only working together to solidify our character and our toughness. The longer we stay in the forge, the thicker our skins would grow to be. The more pressure we receive, the more oil/wine we would give out.
Embrace the forge of God, submit to God’s making process, only then can the treasures buried inside you be unearth.
Love.
Abalaka Paul Eneojo.
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