The Holy Chisel

Proverbs 11:2

“When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame,

But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.”

I love the Amplified Bible because it goes into the detail of every phrase in the Bible. In a way, it is answering the question, “What does that mean?” as I read.

Two short points today: pride and humbleness. I know that is not a great sentence, but those two words have to be the polar opposites of each other. Pride is an attitude of self-importance, while humility means teachable and able to be corrected. I believe they both have something to do with being “chiseled.”

I can name some of the grandest, chiseled monuments, and we can all wonder how much time it took to make them, like Michelangelo’s “David” or Mount Rushmore. It must have taken many days and nights hammering away at a nondescript piece of marble or granite.

Just imagine for a second. “Bring it in here, boys, and set it down where I can get the most light.” One of the workers must have rolled his eyes and said, “This old codger wants to hammer on a rock all day. What a waste of time.” God is chiseling you, and to most of the people around you who do not know the Lord, it looks foolish and like a waste of time, prideful in a way. Their self-importance and arrogant attitude guide them and ultimately end up in dishonor and shame.

While the Christian, who is being chiseled by Almighty God, remains teachable and is learning to walk with God in all His ways, growing in wisdom and soundness of mind. Both start out as a rock that the Lord is chiseling away at, but only one is being perfected into the image and likeness of Christ. The chiseling may be difficult, but I would rather be chiseled by Almighty God than foolishly let pride take over, attempting to finish what only God can do. Michelangelo saw his statue of David even before he started chipping the rock. God knows what you can be with Him in your heart, so give Him back the chisel.

Prayer: Father, I give You back the chisel. I give You control over my life and everything that I have. I renounce my pride, arrogance, and my own way of doing things. I choose this day to be chiseled by You, Lord. I choose to remain teachable, growing in wisdom and soundness of mind. In Jesus’ name, amen.