Judges 9:19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

Have you ever met someone and they stretch out their arm stiff in a manner which reminds you of someone who expects you to “kiss the ring”? They greet you with the phrase “I am delighted to meet you.”, and their posture says anything but delight.

Have you met someone and rather than shaking your hand they open up their arms and draw you in so close, it is almost like they are taking you into themselves. They say nothing.

Those are two extremes but in truth their actions are sincere. The words don’t matter, actions tell everything. Here in Judges 9:19 he points to actions rather than words by addressing “dealt truly” as the main focus and not words.

Then rejoice is added after actions are shown. The words follow the actions. So often we put the words out there and expect people to believe we are being sincere when we have done nothing to show our real intentions.

If the lost are to believe the gospel message we bring, sincerity must be established first so that the words will be received and believed. When Jesus sent out His disciples two by two and instructed them to enter into the homes of those who would receive them, He understood that sincerity opened the door.

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

To be sincere, you have to be sincere.

“The slow boring of hard board” Max Weber

This is a partial quote which in its original form was aimed at politics. I do not often use secular quotes to make spiritual points. That was a pun for those who might not have caught it. Drill bits have points.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Ezekiel 21:9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

Do not misunderstand, the Word is not the sword here, it is sharper than a sword. I include the second quote for the issue of refurbishing. There is in this spiritual truths that apply to this slow boring of hard boards.

We all understand that refurbishing is a restoration process, to make a thing as good as new. But how does this apply to the boring process?

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

In the prepositional use of countenance it means “in the presence of”. The implication being in the presence of our Lord, the Word.

Pulling this all together, into one contingent thought, slow progress is made in making changes in us and we must sharpen our countenance in the presence of the Word. Too much pressure and too much speed will cause burn marks in the hard board and dull the edge of the drill.

To those looking on at the process, it seems that little progress is being made. Our impatience must never replace the hand of God in operating the drill.