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T O D A Y    G O D    I S    F I R S T
                  Marketplace Meditations
                       by Os Hillman

Weapons of Warfare

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into
spears.
- (Joel 3:10)


In this third chapter of Joel, we hear the prophet describe a
time yet to come. It will be a time of great harvest on the
earth, and this verse describes the catalyst. A plowshare is an
agricultural instrument used to till the soil. At this point in
history, it was a tool that spoke of one's vocation. However, the
prophet was speaking of a time yet to come. The prophet described
the plowshare as an instrument that will be turned into a sword.
The sword is often used in the Bible to describe God's Word. The
only way a plowshare can be turned into a sword is for it to go
through extreme heat, and then the blacksmith must beat that
plowshare into shape. Heat and punishment of the metal turns that
plowshare into an instrument of battle. God must do this in each
of our lives in order for us to be useable as a worthy sword. We
are all in a battle-a spiritual battle. Paul describes our battle
as one against the principalities of the unseen world. I believe
God is going to raise up many in the marketplace to use their
plowshare as a weapon of righteousness in these last days. That
weapon won't be used for destruction, but as a weapon of love.
That weapon of love will yield a great harvest in our lifetime.
But this is only part of the story.

God is also going to turn our pruning hooks into spears. A
pruning hook is used in two ways. First, it is used to prune a
tree for greater growth and productivity. It is also used to cut
the fruit from taller trees in which one cannot reach the fruit.
This fruit from our vocation is going to be cast forth like a
spear, but even more as seed planted to bring the harvest of
which Joel speaks. Fruit from our business life is often the
financial rewards generated. God wants to use our finances and
everything else for His purposes. We must use our vocations and
the fruit that comes from them as seed to bring the great harvest
that God is planning.

How are you using your plowshare and your pruning hook for God's
glory today? Ask God to show you how He wants to use your skills,
resources, and relationships to prepare for the great harvest He
has planned.

* * * * * * * * * * * * Author's Note * * * * * * * * * * *

New! TGIF Small Group Bible Study. We have just released our
new email PDF version of a small group bible studies series
of 9 individual studies based on the TGIF devotionals. The
first series on the topic of Calling.
To learn more, please go to:
http://sda.goshen.net/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi?AD=marketplace01

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Published and distributed by Crosswalk.com, this daily devotional is
written by Os Hillman (os@marketplaceleaders.org).  Os is president of
Marketplace Leaders, an Atlanta based ministry teaching Biblical
principles for career and business success.  He offers a FREE newsletter
and other resources at:
http://www.marketplaceleaders.org

Order "TGIF: Today God I s  First" - 365 daily meditations to motivate
and inspire for $17 for TGIF subscribers. Click here to order:

http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/displayroom/skudetail.nhtml?uid=10055

To support Os Hillman  & Marketplace Leaders , click:
 https://nhf.org/applications/donate.htm?FDN=Marketplace%2BLeaders

Mail: 3520 Habersham Club Drive, Cumming, Georgia 30041 USA.


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