I am not trying to stir up controversy. There was a mention on a post that a carpenter keeping his tools sharp is like keeping our faith close to God or whatever.
In Isaiah 2: The scripture refers beating their swords into plowshares and pruning hooks.
This brings to mind a common skill that disappeared around the turn of the 20th Century as the methods of bringing in the harvest gradually changed to a mechanized method.
This skill is that of using a wheat scythe.
Before I accepted Christ as my savior I was an advocate of the back to the land movement. I was still hoping, praying and trying to learn how to live off the land after I had been a Christian for some time. I learned many things that were at one time common knowledge for most farmers, such as how to harvest your seeds so you may save them for next years crop and how to use once common farm implements. I also learned a lot about how to make your own if you didin't have it.
One tool I learned how to use (not as well as those old timers) was the wheat scythe. What a satisfying feeling to use little effort to drag that blade through tall grass with little effort and watch it lay down like soldiers on a mid evil battle field or a better comparison would be falling like bowling pins.
When I first tried using a wheat scythe I purchased a cheap, modern version of one from Farm & Fleet. The blade was heavy and dulled quickly. I first learned the wrong way to use this tool because of a dull blade. I wound up hacking at the grass rather than dragging the blade through it. I probably messed up my back.
after doing a little reading I learned that the wheat scythe of long ago had a thin blade and a narrow handle or better known as the snath. Later, I found a wheat scythe offered by Green River Tools had a straight handle and a European style blade that was sharpened by peening (hammering) the edge of the blade to a reasonable sharpness and then honed to a fine edge using a whetstone.
I ordered one of these and followed the directions on how to peen and hone the blade of my new scythe. I was amazed at the performance of this tool. I was not straining my back to use it and I found what pleasure an obsolete manual skill actully was. I never did get to cut a five acre field which was the standard daily rate expected of a strong young man in the 19th century. It tells us how weak some of us modern folks are. I did learn what it was like to use such a tool, I kept down some weeds in the neighbor church lot (which is now the church I attend), and I also learned the importance of keeping a cutting tool sharp.
At one time I had the name, Grim Reaper but the name "Grim" really didn't fit me.
How does this relate to anything? when I read this passage in Isaiah
I think of beating my scythe sharp after I have dinged the edge with stones
and dead branches. If I don't peen my scythe ever it will never cut
well at all and is useless to bring in the harvest. In our
walk with Jesus we are constantly getting our faith dinged with Satans
rocks and dead branches. That is why it is important to read The Word,
Pray and trust in God. It is important to hone our blade so that we can
witness to those around us.
In the 19th Century the quality of a mans work with a scythe was determined
how straight his path or swath was in the field. You could always tell
how sharp he kept his blade by the amount of blades of wheat were left
standing in his swath. That is our witness.
How do we measure our path as we walk with Christ?
Without spending a week or two researching my comparisons I am putting
this out with some flaws. The Lord has laid it upon my heart tonight to
put this out. Those who pick up what is being said you are more than welcome
to hone this into a devotion.
Some of the better types of food are home grown.
Onward In Gods Service
Randall A Hermanson
Pioneer Commander
FCF 1998
OP#1 Woodstock Il
