ARROWS IN THE HAND OF THE MIGHTY.
Psalm 127: 4. “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”

The NIV translation reads “as arrows are in the hand of a warrior”. To understand this text we need to know the importance of arrows in the hand of a warrior or a mighty man. The arrow is a weapon of Defense just like a gun is in the hand of a soldier. Though a weapon of defence, it can also be a weapon of offense. The same weapon that the soldier use to defend himself can also be used against him depending on who has access to the weapon at the said time. Apart from the fact that the weapon can preserve him it can also harm him if it is wrongly handled.

A soldier or warrior does not wait till on the day of battle before he begins to prepare and polish his arrows or gun, if he wait till the day of battle he may have prepare to fail, but he starts preparing his weapon way back when there is no threat of war. He selects the best of wood for arrows and begin the process of shaping them into arrows which might not be a day’s job, sometimes it might require a lengthy procedures and technicalities to produce arrows that will deliver appropriate precision on the day of battle, so is it with the soldier and his gun, no soldier will go to war with a weapon he has not proved, if he does he risk going to war with a gun that can jam in the heat of battle and might lead to an unwanted end.

So are children in the hand of a believer, a believer that wants to have victory and peace in his old age just like the mighty man will take time to sharpen and beat his or her arrows to shape with the word of God and also soak them in prayer, so that they be a sharpened weapon in his or her hands when he or she contends with his or her enemies at the gate and he or she will not be put to shame. I pray that our children will not put us to shame and will not bring us disappointments in the Name of Jesus.

Your children are your weapons of defense, they are your strength, no time spent to polish and make prepare them is ever wasted, the time and process of sharpening may be rigorous, energy sapping and uncomfortable for the instruments of war and the mighty man making them ready but if properly done and the pains are patiently endured, it will not disappoint when they get tested in days of battle. A weapon left to itself unattended to will sure fail, when it will be needed the most.

How sharp and prepared are your arrows and weapons of war? May your children rise to your help when and where you most needed them to in Jesus Name. Amen!

Sis. C. Ayoola-Olumofin writes for Praying Parents Prayer Group (3pG).