Psalm 127:4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth.
The shaft of the wooden or aluminum body is the backbone of the arrow. It does not matter how sharp the arrowhead is or how good the fletching is, the arrow will not fly if the shaft is too thick or crooked. It must be straight and consistent in thickness and stiffness to spin swiftly.
Similarly, discipline, guidance and direction will shape the character of the children, teens and youth into a shaft with perfect precision and balance. Hence the Lord has used arrows as an analogy for the children born to fulfil His divine purpose.
Daniel was like a well-balanced and perfectly fashioned arrow in the hands of the Lord. Therefore, even though he was in the enemy’s territory the Lord God could use Him to accomplish His desires and plans. The discipline of Daniel polished him into a smooth shaft. Daniel refused to partake in the king’s food as it would violate the “kosher”, the dietary laws specified in Leviticus 11. Further, the meat and wine were offered to the Babylonian gods before it was served to the king. Daniel refused to defile himself with the unclean feast. Daniel struck a deal with the guard who was overseeing him and his friends. “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.” (Daniel 1:12). Daniel blessed the vegetables and water in the name of the Almighty God and the Lord turned it into vitamins, proteins and antioxidants which made their skin glow and their brains ten times sharper in just ten days.
Polished for Purpose:
- Smooth: Daniel’s discipline turned him into a smooth shaft. He was eloquent in speech, sharp in his thinking and sturdy in his commitment. A smooth, polished surface allows clean, efficient flight.
- Strong: Daniel’s dedication to live in obedience strengthened the core of his character. A weak shaft is wobbly and will fly erratically but a strong stiff shaft will not flex.
- Swift: Daniel’s devotion and love for God turned him into a swift and smooth instrument in God’s hands.
“Discipline, dedication and devotion will fashion an ordinary stick into smooth, strong and swift arrows”.
Prayer: Sovereign Lord, I commit to live a disciplined, dedicated and devoted life to be fashioned into a swift and sharp instrument. Amen.
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