He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. (Isaiah 49:2 NIV)
I tend to be overly cautious or suspicious of books entirely inspired by and written around one Bible verse. Perhaps this is a result of years of warnings about taking a text out of its context and making it a pretext. However, I hoped that in Polished Arrows, I would find something more reliable and deeply grounded in a full understanding of Scripture. I trusted the author as a woman with a deep love and reverence for God’s Word, and Jenny Sanders did not disappoint.
Jenny uses the arrow as a metaphor for Christian growth, starting with choosing the raw materials, and taking us through the various processes of formation until it is ready to be deployed. Before reading this book, I knew very little about arrows, so the explanations were fascinating. However, the lessons the author drew from each process were truly Holy Spirit inspired.
The language used in this book is simple enough for a new believer, with no presumption of deep Biblical knowledge. In fact, Jenny uses a Bible character to emphasize and back up every point she makes, devoting sub-chapters to telling their stories. I would have no qualms about giving Polished Arrows to a new believer or using it with a study group. I believe the topics covered would lead to lively discussions, in-depth studies, and debates. Jenny isn’t afraid to face some tough issues, but she does so with love, grace, and sensitivity. There are also target questions at the end of the chapters to fuel group discussion.
Some of the themes dealt with in Polished Arrows include forgiveness, grace, expecting more of others than they can realistically give, and the reality of suffering. Jenny builds theme upon theme, returning to some of her earlier ideas later in the book and expanding upon them. It is an amazingly well-rounded overview of the Christian life, tied together by the theme of preparing a polished arrow.
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