Hebrews 3:4 "Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything."
"Always use the right tool for the job" is sound advice often given by fathers to sons and by supervisors to workers. Nothing can be more frustrating than trying to accomplish a task with the wrong tools. The job ends up taking far more time and sometimes is impossible.
The Holy Spirit uses the tools of God's Word and Sacraments to create and sustain the gift of faith in each Christian. Children usually are baptized into the kingdom of God, and the faith of Christians is nourished by the Lord's Supper and the Bible. We are to use these tools of God so our Christian faith is sustained.
At times, though, we may try to take matters into our own hands and use our own tools to do spiritual work. But we soon realize the frustration and wasted time and energy resulting from using the wrong tools.
The psalmist writes, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). Not our own candles or flashlights, but Scripture lights the way to God. Only God's Word makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. We need to mark it down: God's Word and Sacraments are the only tools for growing and sharing our faith.
PRAYER: Father in heaven, help us always to use Your tools to do Your work; for Jesus' sake we pray. Amen.
(Taken from "Words of Promise," copyright 1996, Concordia Publishing House (out of print). For information on other devotional materials, call 1-800 325-3040.)
Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 18-19 Matthew 6:1-18
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