Preached by Rev. Leah Andere on Daughters of Faith Sunday.
“Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.” (KJV)
These verses are a direct assurance that God alone can help the weak. He speaks to people who see themselves as small, even as a worm, and He says: Fear not, I will help you. The help does not come from our own strength. It comes from the Lord, our Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
From weakness to a threshing sledge
A threshing sledge was a heavy wooden board with sharp teeth underneath, dragged over harvested grain to break it apart. God takes the one who feels like a worm and turns her into a threshing sledge: new, sharp and full of teeth.
This is the good news for every woman who feels weak today. Even in your weak state, God can make a great impact out of you. He does not wait for you to become strong first. He transforms you. He makes you new and sharp.
And with that new strength He gives you an impossible task: to thresh mountains and make the hills flat. The mountains in your life, in your family and in your community are not too big for what God is making of you. No matter the circumstances, the hills can be brought low.
What is impact?
Impact is the mark you leave behind: the difference that remains after you have passed through a place. God calls us to make an everlasting impact, the kind that lasts beyond our own lifetime.
Women are very powerful, because women keep life going. In countless homes it is the mother, the wife, the grandmother or the sister who keeps the family standing. So, as a woman, do not feel less of yourself. What you carry every day matters to God, and it matters to everyone who depends on you.
Wherever you are, at home, at work, in church or in the market, carry the task God has given you, and change something for good. God can use you to give something great to the people around you.
Women God used
Scripture is full of women whom God used to change the course of history:
- Deborah judged Israel and led the people to victory when others were afraid to go (Judges 4–5).
- Miriam led the women of Israel in worship after God brought them through the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20–21).
- Ruth chose loyalty and faith, saying “thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16). She became part of the family line of King David, and of Jesus.
- Esther obtained favour from God, went before the king and saved her people. She came to the kingdom “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).
None of them was impactful on her own. God’s hand was upon each of them, and the same God is ready to use you.
Characteristics of a woman of impact
1. A woman of impact is valuable
“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). Your worth is not measured by what others say or by what you have. It is set by God, who made you and redeemed you. When you know your value, you stop living small.
2. A woman of impact is God’s project
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10). You are not an accident or an afterthought. God is still working on you, shaping you, and He will finish what He started: “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it” (Philippians 1:6).
Sharpen your axe
“If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.” Ecclesiastes 10:10 (KJV)
A dull axe uses a lot of strength and achieves very little. Many women are exhausted because they are working hard with a blunt edge. The way to sharpen the axe is to be prayerful. Prayer keeps us sharp, just as God promised to make us a new sharp threshing instrument.
Skill also matters. Skill will bring success, and God gives wisdom to direct our work. Ask Him for wisdom in your home, your business, your studies and your ministry. Your skills, offered to God, can themselves become prayers: every task done well and done for Him becomes an act of worship.
For reflection this week
- Where do I feel weak or small right now, and what would it look like to let God help me there?
- What “mountain” in my home or community is God calling me to face?
- Where can I change something for good this week?
- Is my axe sharp? How can I make more room for prayer and grow in skill?
A prayer
Lord, thank You that You help the weak. When I feel small, remind me that You are my Redeemer. Make me new and sharp, a woman who carries Your purpose wherever I go. Help me to know my worth in You, and to trust that I am Your project. Sharpen me through prayer, give me wisdom and skill, and use me to make an everlasting impact in my family, my church, and my community, just as You used Deborah, Miriam, Ruth, and Esther. In Jesus’ name, Amen.