Tools of the Shed - Martin Wiles

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. Acts 9:15 NLT

Dad’s first woodworking project began in a small storage shed.

My dad’s full-time work was pastoring churches, but his hobby was working with wood. He took up the hobby when he was pastoring a small church in the lower regions of South Carolina. The congregation was small, so he had more time on his hands than normal for a pastor. A small storage shed out back where yard implements and the lawnmower were kept became his first wood shop. And his first projects were wooden picture frames he glued outdoor scenes on.

By the time Dad retired, he had purchased a large shed and filled it with woodworking implements of all sorts. Table saws, band saws, planes, routers, sanders, and drill presses. Anything he needed for a project, he purchased. Hammers, screwdrivers, pencils, screws, nails, and dowels. And when he finished for the day, everything he had used was returned to its place. His small projects evolved into larger ones, such as bedroom suites, tables, and china cabinets.

Ananias wasn’t excited when God told him about a special tool: Saul. Ananias knew him as a persecutor and killer of Christians, not someone friendly to religious folks. What he didn’t know was that God had changed Saul’s heart and was going to use him as a tool to spread the gospel across the known world. Ananias couldn’t imagine Saul as God’s tool.

As believers, we’re all special tools in God’s shed, and we each have a particular purpose. Dad didn’t use a saw to hammer a nail, nor did he use a hammer to drive in a screw. The drill press was used for drilling holes not cutting wood. God has given me tools that match my personality and His plan for my life. Your tool may be different, but you are a tool He wants to use nevertheless.

Many of Dad’s tools outlasted him and were passed down to my middle brother who still uses them. God used Paul until he died, and He wants to do the same with me. Older tools manufactured by popular companies are valuable. God has stamped His brand name on believers, which gives us value and use for a lifetime.

Let God help you discover the tool you are so you can get busy with the work He wants you to do.

Prayer: Father, thank You for using us as tools in Your Kingdom work. Help us to be faithful in the work You assign us. 

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