| Isaiah 10:15 "Shall the axe boast himself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood."
It's interesting how we as humans are. When things are not going right, we are very quick to say that we are not in control-we have no power over what is going on. But when everything seems to be going right, we are very quick to take the credit and say that we have control over what is happening!
The Israelites were the same way. They had been conquered and were convinced that it was the Assyrians who were really in control of things. Even the Assyrian king himself was convinced that he was the powerful ruler in control. But God said, "I will punish the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed. . . I have put down . . . my hand hath found . . . I have gathered. . . ." (Isaiah 10:12-14)
It is true that pride is provincial. If we narrow down our scope enough, we can make ourselves look quite important. For example, we could say, "I am the richest person in my neighborhood." Is that big news? If you widen your scope just a little, you will see that there are many people who are far richer than you. If we widen our scope all the way, we will see that we are nothing compared to our God!
Contrary to what both Israel and Assyria thought, God was the One who was in control. Though He was working behind the scenes, He was working everything according to His plan. No matter what is going on in your life right now, remember that God is always in control. And God's bidding will be done, whether by those that are obedient to Him or by those who are rebelling against Him. Pharaoh scoffed at God's warnings, and yet God's purpose was fulfilled through Pharaoh! It would do us well to recognize that we are not in control-ever. We are simply tools in the hand of God.
Notice what God says in verse 15: "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? . ." How silly it would be for a tool like an axe to think that it had any power in itself! Just like these tools, we are useless without God's enabling power. Anything useful and good that is accomplished through our lives is a direct result of God's working through us. A tool has no power in itself.
In addition, every tool has a purpose. No tool is made to just sit on the shelf-every tool has a specific purpose. So it is with every human being. God wants to use you! He has a specific plan for you-not just in the future but today.
Nothing is ever out of the control of God. Remember to give God the credit He deserves in your life, and then rest in His control when life seems to be out of control. Also be careful not to rely on God's tools instead of God Himself. Don't become self-reliant--be a surrendered tool in the Master's hand today.
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