HOW DID THE CAT EAT THE GRUBBING HOE?

When I was young, the occasion would often arise when I would be helping my father do a difficult task – like
driving a bearing assembly several inches onto a steel shaft, or putting rings on a piston – one of eight pistons,
sizing them to the correct gap by manually filing down the ends of the rings. Sometimes I would ask him how
we would do this job; and he would reply, “Like the cat ate the grubbing hoe.”

I. THE JOURNEY FROM NEWBORN TO MATURITY IS NOT IMMEDIATE.

A. We have a lot of learning to do.
1. 1 Peter 2:1-5 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all
evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If
so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed
indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,
an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

2. Isa 28:9-10 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them
that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept
upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

II. THE TRANSFORMING OF OURSELVES WORKS FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

A. First, a change of perspective helps – and we need all the help we can get.
1. Phil 2:3-8 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem
other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the
things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in
the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion
as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

B. We acquire a new attitude, and we become new persons.

1. Eph 4:20-24 But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been
taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that
ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

C. We are instructed as to how we can do this.

1. Rom 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

III. THE PROCESS TAKES DILIGENT APPLICATION AND WORK.

A. We work toward the goal in steps.
1. 1 Thess 4:9-12 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves
are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all
Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more; And that ye study to be
quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye
may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
Page3

2. 2 Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
IV. GOING ON TO PERFECTION.
A. We start at the principles of the doctrine of Christ and go on to perfection, if …
1. Heb 6:1-3 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection;
not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine
of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And
this will we do, if God permit.

B. Block by block, bit by bit.

1. 2 Peter 1:1-11
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us
through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the
divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from
his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these
things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.

V. TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS ARE A PART OF THE MATURATION PROCESS.

A. God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are there to see us through in triumph.
1. 1 Peter 5:6-10 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in
due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist
stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the
world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye
have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

2. 2 Cor 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and
maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

B. Christ can do for us what we cannot.

1. Heb 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us
therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help
in time of need.

2. Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
Page3

your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 3. Eph 3:14-21 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the
whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his
glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is
the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh
in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
Amen.

HOW DID THE CAT EAT THE GRUBBING HOE? A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME.

LET’S NOT GET DISCOURAGED WHEN WE ARE STILL IN THE GROWTH PROCESS. WE WILL BE
IN THE GROWTH PROCESS AS LONG AS WE LIVE. LET’S LOOK AT HOW FAR WE HAVE COME.
BE ENCOURAGED THAT PERFECTION IS IN JESUS CHRIST. WE ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AND
IT IS UP TO US TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON.

Page3