Crooked Nails

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Recently, at church, our pastor spoke about his dad never wasting anything, including bent nails. That brought back a flood of memories. My dad grew up during the Great Depression. For him, everything had value. He would never throw away a bent or rusty nail. He always had a bucket full of them.

Dad loved building or rebuilding things, and like a magnet, he’d pull me into his projects if I were anywhere within his magnetic field. Often, I would find myself pulling nails out of old boards – I was useless at painting. When pulling nails, I had to find a used piece of wood or the anvil on Dad’s bench vice and hammer them into usefulness.

God also doesn’t waste anything or anyone. It doesn’t matter how far we fall or how rusty we are; Jesus can renew us. He loves us and even chases after us, like the sheep that wandered away from its flock. But we have a responsibility.

We must believe God1. Believing is different from faith. Faith is a thing – “faith is the substance of things hoped for2” – but to believe is an action.

In order to find true guidance and restoration, we must turn to God for help. Our own efforts to straighten ourselves out are as unlikely as a nail straightening itself. Instead, we should ask, seek, and knock on God’s door, shifting our focus from worldly distractions to the peace that only He can provide. Emotions and external influences may lead us astray, but Jesus is the source of salvation and a renewed connection with our deepest love.

You and I know that we are unable to straighten ourselves out. That’s as likely as a nail straitening itself out! To get back on the “narrow path,” we need only God’s help. We must ask God, seek God, knock on God’s door. We must move our eyes from the storms to the Quieter of storms3. Our emotions will betray us4. The world will try to sway us5. But only Jesus can save us and restore us to our first love6.

Jesus said that He would never leave you or abandon you7. Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you. And He will make you fresh as new8, useful once again to the kingdom of God.

Feature Image by JoeBu from Pixabay 
Bench-Vice Image by Davie Bicker from Pixabay

[1]: Bible Gateway passage: John 5:24 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%205%3A24&version=ESV

[2]: Bible Gateway passage: Hebrews 11:1 – King James Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2011%3A1&version=KJV

[3]: Bible Gateway passage: Mark 4:39 – New Living Translation. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%204%3A39&version=NLT

[4]: Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 29:11 – New Living Translation. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2029%3A11&version=NLT

[5]: Bible Gateway passage: 1 John 5:19 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%205%3A19&version=ESV

[6]: Bible Gateway passage: Revelation 2:4–5 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%202%3A4–5&version=ESV

[7]: Bible Gateway passage: Deuteronomy 31:6 – New Living Translation. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2031%3A6&version=NLT
[8]: Bible Gateway passage: Titus 3:5 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved September 20, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Titus%203%3A5&version=ESV