THIS SAT, ARROW MINISTRY! 4.30! LEVEL 6 OVERFLOWROOM!! GET EXCITED PEEPZ!!!!

Hey guys, The following Selene from NUS read the following in a book and shared it with theCGLs in NUS cluster. It's really powerful and I thought it would begood to share it with all of you.

STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW

I was visiting a church where the youth pastor was explaining how wewere arrows. I couldn't help but make the application to my life.Isaiah says: "He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadowof His hand He hid me; He made me into a polished arrow and concealedme in His quiver" (Isaiah 49:2 NIV).In the light of the fact that He apparently makes us into polishedarrows, there are some things we need to understand about the creationof arrows in order to grasp the importance. Unbeknownst to me, thereis a fine art to the creation of an arrow. There is little room forerror as the arrow is created for one specific purpose- to be shottoward a target or goal. Most important, there is the selection of theentire basis of the arrow- the wood, which becomes the shaft, thefoundation of the arrow

SELECTION OF THE WOOD

Now, there isn't a magic arrow tree, you know. So the selection of thetype of wood is very important. An arrow needs to be constructed fromheavy, strong timber so it can withstand the strain of being firedfrom a hundred-pound-plus bow (that is the force) and also be able toimpact an animal or steel plate without shattering. Not just any treewill do. Cedar, pine, and fir are the most common wood types becauseof their strength. God selects us in the same way. "you did not chooseme, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit thatwill last" (John 15:16 NIV). Have you ever thought to consider thatthe Lord has chosen you because you have an innate strength He wouldlike to use for a specific purpose? One He gave and anointed you for?

PAINS OF PRUNING

The next natural step involves the pruning of the branches. Ever seenas arrow flying though the sky with leaves still attached? If youhave, it didn't go far! The extra weight and sprigs must be removed,or they will disrupt the air flow and agility of the arrow, causing itnot to be as efficient. Similarly, God works in our life to removethose things that hinder our service for Him. "I am the true vine, andmy Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bearsno fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that itwill be even more fruitful" (John 15:1-2 NIV). God makes sure that Heremoves things from our life that will impede our flight. On the otherhand, He sometimes adds to our life people and circumstances that wemight not even enjoy for the sole purpose of drawing us to Himself soHe can change us."And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing thattribulations produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; andcharacter hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of Godhas been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given tous ." (Romans 5:3-5 NKJV)

STRAIGHTEN IT OUT

Now, wood doesn't just grow completely straight, and the shaft makingprocess does not turn out perfectly straight shafts on the firstattempt. Wood can bend under stress or in differing humidityconditions or, ironically enough, just on its own- like us. all duringthe arrow-making process. Then they continue to perform remedialstraightening after the arrows have been shot.Once a noticeable bend is sighted, the maker can try to preliminarilystraighten it by rubbing another piece of wood against the outside ofthe bend. This actually compresses some of the cells in the wood andshortens that side so the shaft pulls back straight. Note how themaker uses the same material to encourage the wood to action. this iswhere our friends come into play. "as iron sharpens iron, so a mansharpens the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17 NKJV). Ourfriends are similar to the arrow maker in this respect. The producerof the arrow doesn't want to press too hard (leaving dents in theshaft or even breaking it), but needs to be firm enough to compresssome of the wood and encourage it back to the straight (and narrow)way. in the same fashion true friends pull you back to the Lord, notstrong-arming, but firmly holding you to the truth. Proverbs says,"Faithful are the wounds of a friend" (Proverbs 27:6 NKJV). It may notfeel good, but if you have the right people surrounding you in yourlife, they will hold you accountable and call you on things when youget a little too "curvy".In order to further straighten a shaft, the best choice is to soak thewood in oil. This makes the wood much more pliable and willing to bendto the creator's wish without stressing (which weakens) the wood byforce. if you try to bend a branch, it can break if pushed too far;but by softening the wood in oil, it becomes pliable, willing to bend.I find it interesting that the Lord used oil for similar purposes: "They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil andhealed them." (Mark 6:13 NIV". Notice the order: oil first and thenthe healing, which is analogous to the application of softening oil tothe arrow before correction.

FEEL THE HEAT

Once the maker has allowed the arrow to soak in the oil for apredetermined period of time, he applies the heat to get the "kinks"out. He places the arrow in the middle of the flame, using the heat toburn away all the impurities and to continue the straighteningprocess. He cannot take his eyes off it, because it could become toohot and catch fire, completely destroying it. Instead, he continuallytwists the shaft, careful not to leave it in the hottest part of theflame too long. Sound vaguely similar?"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if needbe, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness ofyour faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, thoughit is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at therevelation of Jesus Christ ." (1 Peter 1:6-7 NKJV)Read Jeremiah 17:7-8: "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,whose confidence is in Him. he will be like a tree planted by thewater that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear whenheat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a yearof drought and never fails to bear fruit" (NIV). Feel the heat?The final step in the shaft-creation process is to bind the refinedarrow with two already-tried-and-true, proven arrows. The two straightarrows finalize the straightening of the shaft under gentle guidanceby example, drawing the shaft to their already perfect straightness.Isn't it just fitting that the commands of the Word line up with that?"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live,not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what isgood. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands andchildren, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to bekind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malignthe word of God ." (Titus 2:3-5 NIV)"Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. Ineverything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teachingshow integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech ." (Titus 2:6-8NIV)

MAKING A POINT

Once the shaft is as straight as the creator can make it, the arrow iscompleted by attaching the point and the flights (feathers that aid inairflow and guidance). Its finally time to shoot it. if you are trulythe "arrow" God has been working on and refining for His service, thenyour cry should resemble this: "'Whom shall I send, and who will gofor Us? Then I said, 'Here am i!' Send me'" (Isaiah 6:8 NKJV).What target are you shooting toward? One you have created or the oneGod has destined for you? Where do you find yourself in the refinementprocess? Are you seeking out the better thing or skipping steps andskirting the edge? Are you planning for compromise or leaning towardthe best? An arrow flies alone, but someone has to shoot it. Wheredoes your "flight" come from? When a master marksman is shootingtoward a goal, he is trusting that the arrow he has chosen was createdwith care and accuracy. He's assuming that all the steps were in placeto create the best arrow possible. The backup plan is a lot like justplucking a branch off a tree to use as an arrow and trying to hit thebull's eye. You're never going to get the outcome you want withoutgoing through the right steps. Stay on target.

Excerpt from:Virden, Holly & Mckinney Hammond, Michelle, If Singleness Is A Gift,What's The Return Policy?. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003.p.162- 167.