The Hammer and the Anvil

The craftsman encourages the goldsmith and he who smooths with the hammer spurs on him who strikes the anvil.

As a mother, my first thought on the hammer and the anvil is of being the piece in between.  So often it seems as though no matter which direction I turn there is something or someone pressing in and bending me until I am sure I will break.

The responsibilities of being a daughter, wife, mother, friend and even of being a Christian can pound on me until the stress points threaten to destroy.

Looking at this picture of my two littlest girls, I had to chuckle as I considered them as the hammer and the anvil.  They are constantly shaping me and helping me grow.  Daily, their antics challenge me, their trust motivates me, their tears break my heart and their giggles fill me with joy and thanksgiving.

Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Kings and Chronicles all speak of how gold is hammered to make it useful.  The hammered gold was used in lamp stands to bring light in the darkness, it was used in the cherubim to bring beauty and represent a place for the Lord and it was used in shields in order to protect God’s people.

Without the hammering and shaping, the gold is really just a chunk of metal dug out of the ground.

“Is not my word like fire,’ declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”

As Christians, we can use God’s Word as a hammer.  If we read it and truly hear what He has to say, God will shape us and mold us so that we become so much more than just raw material.

God’s plan for each of us is to work on us until we are as beautiful as we can be, bringing His light to the rest of the world and defending His name and His glory.

Some days, I need more hammering than others and some days it seems as though the job will break me.  Sometimes, God needs to turn up the heat so that I will be more pliable.  Every time I allow Him to shape me, the result becomes more beautiful.

Can you find the hammers and anvils in your life?  Are they the ones you love the most?  Thank God today for His amazing craftsmanship and allow Him to shape you into the very best He has for you.