Flint-knapping

“…But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint…” Ezekiel 3:9

“Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” Isaiah 50:7

Flint. In the past two days I have read two Bible verses about being used by the Lord and about flint. What in the world is flint? And why did I read about it so much?

So, I took the liberty of looking it up.

Flint is a rock used to make arrowheads, knives and other tools. Its strength comes from its hardness, but also from the ability it has to be shaped by skilled workmen. In fact, the term “flint knapping” is used to describe the process of heating up flint so that it is more workable and fractures or splits on more “natural” lines. The controlled use of fire on flint not only improves its “flaking quality” but also can change its color and luster and make it more magnetic.
And I would be remiss not to mention the fact that flint was also used to ignite gunpowder in firearms up until the early 19th century. However, it is not adept at making fires on its own. One needs to hit pyrite (FeS2) with flint in order to make it spark well.

Why am I writing all this down? Because I think that there is a beautiful picture here.

In college, there was a group of us who called ourselves “the Toolbox”. We coined that phrase because we were hoping to all be tools fit to be used by our Master. I think we all knew that in order to make a good tool, sometimes you have to be pretty hard on the original material.

Flint is hard. And that’s a good quality. But it might be hard and the wrong shape for a good arrowhead or knife. A master craftsman would need to shape it for better use – and, it is best shaped when it goes through the fire. After it’s been through the fire, parts of it are chipped away to fashion it into what is desired. Then, it is most effective.

Isn’t that like our lives? God gives us qualities, dreams, ambitions, attitudes or talents that need to go through the fire. We sometimes are stripped away from what we lean on, humbled when our best isn’t good enough – but ultimately the effect of fire is to change us – improve our “flaking quality”, change our “color and luster”, even our “magnetism” – so that we are better tools in the hands of God. After the fire, He can freely chip away at our imperfections. He can make us exactly the people He wants us to be – so that He can then use our gifts and talents most effectively in a world that is in a constant battle.

AND – speaking of battles reminds me of firearms! Which reminds me that a good piece of flint is also excellent at making sparks and setting things on fire. And the hope is that someday, God might use us to help start a fire. How wonderful it would be to live in such a way that our lives produce sparks that help set others aflame for the gospel of Jesus Christ!

And when we give our lives to Him – I do believe He plans on doing just that. We just have to be willing to go through the fire and the chipping and the struggles. Then we will be more useful.

I had to laugh as I read about flint today. I thought of the different “fires” I’ve been through, the dreams that were snuffed out, the humiliations...and realized how many of those things have shaped who I am today. And it made me grateful for each of those – because it made it easier for God to chip away my “flakes”. I wonder what my next fire might be? What else needs to be chipped?

I'm glad my God loves me too much to let me stay where I am. I’m going to trust myself in the hands of my Master Craftsman.

So thankful He knows what’s best!