Almost everyone knows a quote from Ecclesiastes. If you have ever been to a wedding or a funeral you have most certainly heard that "there is a season for everything, a time for every activity under heaven...a time to be born, a time to die..."(Ecc 3:1) There was even a song written about it in the 70's; "To everything turn, turn, turn...there is a season, turn, turn, turn" (you are welcome, it is stuck in my head too!) Ecclesiastes is full of wonderful things about the truths of life here on earth...things that we all have in common....the things that make us the same. Ecclesiastes also speaks quite a bit about Wisdom. Today I would like to look at a few thoughts from chapter ten that you probably haven't heard before (At least not at a wedding or a funeral).

"Using a dull axe requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That's the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed." - Ecclesiastes 10:10

Trying to do anything with out the necessary skills or tools is like chopping wood with a dull axe.If your tool is dull, you need to sharpen it to do a better job. Similarly, if you lack skills, you should sharpen them through training and practice. "Sharpening the blade" means recognizing where a problem exists, acquiring or honing the skills to do the job better, and then going out and doing it. If you find the areas in your life where the axe is dull and sharpen your skills you can be more effective for God's work.

Wisdom helps you succeed in all occupations and endeavors. There are tools that must be kept in good order to be most efficient. Simply sharpening the blade of a dull axe can be a significant act of wisdom for those whose livelihood depends on it.

Ecclesiastes 10:11 says "If a snake bites before you charm it, what's the value of being a snake charmer?" Another, not so "recognizable" quote, but there is great wisdom here if we unpack it a bit. The purpose of charming a snake is to keep it from biting, but a snake charmer risks being bitten before the snake is actually charmed. Stay with me here...Some occupations or activities are so hazardous, that the wise man will never engage in them at all. These things are too dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

"How are you going to tie all of this together?" you ask...I will try to be as coherent as possible as I write these posts really early in the morning (thank goodness for spell check!) I do feel that these two truths go hand in hand. Number one, they come, one right after the other in the chapter (a valid point I must say...sounds convincing). Number two, they both require wisdom to discern in every day situations. And number three, they both apply to a subject that I am a bit troubled by as our teams are preparing for the trip to Malawi.

You see, we have nearly thirty people going on this mission trip. Due to the large number of people, we have been broken into two teams. Each team will be lodging at a different location several miles from the other, but during our time there, we will all be working together at the orphanage.
Going to Malawi on this mission is nothing like going on a vacation. We will be traveling 19 hours on a plane. We will most likely have an 8 hour layover in Europe. We will be taking an open-air truck journey deep into the wiles of Malawi...this is a bumpy dusty path that faintly resembles a raod through the bush of Africa, not a paved highway by any means. We are going to be without electricity...without running water...without family and friends...without our customs, our culture, our time zone, our regular diet of foods, our language....the list is endless. We need to intentionally build team unity. We need to prepare.

The trouble is, that this is going to take time, energy, perseverance, effort, discipline, and wisdom!
Like most people in America, each one of us has a busy life. I have already blogged about this and I do understand the legitimate responsibilities that we all have, I really do! But...and this is a rather big but (no pun intended) Every last one of us chose to go on this trip. There is work to be done...there are axes to be sharpened, we need to be in the word of God. We need to be in private worship. We need to be in constant prayer. We need to be "All in" in preparation for the time there. There will be spiritual warfare the likes of which we have never seen before. Malawi has different principalities attacking them than America does. We will encounter people fully bound by the evil one and we MUST be ready. We must go wearing the full armour of God.

"Therefore put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the good news so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of e devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take up the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistant in your prayers for all believers everywhere."- Ephesians 6:13-18

We need a sharp sword (axe...tool...weapon). We also need to refrain from pursuits which are dangerous at this time. I feel that the situations some of us put ourselves in are like trying to charm snakes. Do we need to see, hear, or do some of the secular things that are acceptable to the world, but not to God? Is every one on the team aware of what will be required of us? Does everyone understand how the enemy will attack like an uncharmed snake if we get near him? This is life and death stuff here folks. This is real war. We are not going on a vacation, we are going into enemy territory and we must to be ready.

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of getting to know some of my team members better. We met for lunch at 1:45 and didn't leave until 5:15! It was absolutely awesome! We ended up sharing pretty much our entire life stories...how we ended up coming to Christ, and how we ended up eventually coming on this trip. We made plans to meet this Friday for prayer and fellowship. We are forming unity. My concern is for everyone on the team to get to do this before we leave. Friday night we will be asking God for guidance in this matter and acting in obedience to whatever He answers.

I started these blog posts as an intentional discipline to strengthen my skills in sharing what God has been doing in my life. I guess I am "sharpening my axe" here each morning. I don't know how this will assist me, but I do know that God's word says that it is wise to do so. I am willing to shift some things around in my life in order to be obedient to His word. I want to be ready. I don't want to miss even one opportunity to do the work that He has for me. After all that is why I am alive...why I am still here...my lungs breathing air and my heart pumping blood...He has work for me to accomplish for His kingdom. I might not always know what He has planned until the time comes, but what I can do is be prepared with skills, a knowledge of His word and a relationship with Him that is so close that I can Hear His direction and in total love, obey Him when it comes

I am praying for team unity, for individuals to have sharpened tools and to steer clear of unnecessary dangers. If you are reading this and you pray, I would ask that you include all of us in your prayers. Thank you for the prayers of the righteous are powerful.