“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:  nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”  Hebrews 12:11

“In the shadow of His hand hath He hid me and made me a polished shaft and in His quiver hath He hid me.”  Isaiah 49:2

When an Ethiopian hunter makes a spear he selects a stick about eight feet long.  It is usually jagged, curved, and seems useless as a tool.  The stick is laid suspended on a bed of two rows of small pegs.

The hunter lights a fire beneath, turning the wood until it is scorched.  Then, while it is hot, he shaves off the bark and the rough spots.  Next, he begins the process of straightening and shaping the wood, returning it to the fire over and over while he continues to sharpen, shape, and hone.

Finally the jagged stick becomes a useful tool.  Similarly, God uses the refining process of Divine discipline to shape and sharpen His beloved children who have fallen away from Him in sin.  It is important for the believers in Christ to understand the goals of God’s discipline and chastening.

While in the British Museum of Natural History, Donald Grey Barnhouse saw the “polished shaft” mentioned in Isaiah 49:2.  Examining the beautiful marble polished shaft under a microscope, Dr. Barnhouse saw thousands of little marks in the marble.  A skilled artisan had taken weeks with a sharp tool striking, striking, striking the marble shaft until it was absolutely smooth and perfect – ready to be used for a great purpose.

How much that is like God’s dealing with His children.  In love and wisdom, He molds, chastens, strikes, smoothes, and polishes us.

He has a perfect purpose.  Our rough edges are gone.

We become like the “polished shaft” in Isaiah 49:2  We are usable.  We are hidden in His quiver to be plucked out at His bidding to be used for the Kingdom of God and the glory of His Son.  God’s discipline sharpens and refines you for ministry in His Kingdom.