“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
On the morning my youngest son Justin left college for a job interview; I prayed he would know if this particular job was for him. My devotional reading on that day had been Proverbs 27:17. I asked the Lord to allow Justin to work under a godly Christian man, one who would sharpen him in his skills but also spiritually. As Justin sat down in front of the man behind his desk; he looked up to see Proverbs 27:17 framed on the wall behind his soon to be employer.
“Iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens the other.”
How can the same surface sharpen another like surface? A dull knife will still cut; however, it takes greater effort to cut through any sort of skin on a vegetable, a fruit or a piece of meat. Knives are usually sharpened with a flint made of stone, called a whetstone. The back and forth movement on either side of this sharpening tool, rubs the dull edge, until it becomes sharper. A whetstone is not made of iron; so what does this verse mean?
If you research the Iron Age; there was a tool made of iron with a rough surface, that was used to sharpen knives. Historically, the Iron Age occurred during Bible times when the writer of Proverbs would have observed iron sharpening iron.
Do you have godly friends that sharpen you? In other words; do they make you accountable and give you godly advice when you need to hear it? Do they point you to God’s Word?
“God’s Word is shaper than any two edged sword and pierces to both joint and marrow.”
Christ was pierced through for our sins. Oh sisters in Christ; we must sharpen each other with God’s Word.
Prayer in Motion:
Oh God; thank You for my “Iron” family and friends who sharpen me! I pray You will bless them and bless them indeed. Make me a friend who sharpens others as well. I love You Lord. In Jesus Name we offer up this prayer. Amen.
