2 Kings 6

• These men had so little but that did not deter them from going out to chop wood to build a new building for God’s work. They even had to borrow the axe they were using. We can so easily find excuses why we cannot be involved in God’s work. It happens gradually and when we open our eyes again we are just busy with our own things.
• When we start working for God we suddenly become intensely aware of the fact that we are spiritually bankrupt and do not have in ourselves the resources in strength and grace to do God’s work.
• The situation with the axe-head that came off and fell into the river is so tipical of the kind of situation we find ourselves in when doing God’s work. It is such a hopeless situation that we are tempted to take our eyes off God, loose faith and become irritated with each other. In times like these one can always find a fault with a brother if you want to. Should he not have looked whether the axe head is tight before he started using it. Maybe he should not have borrowed an axe at all etc. I am irritated not because things are necessarily going according to my will but simply because I feel so hopeless.
• By loosing the axe-head he lost the sharp part of the axe. It is easy to loose that edge spiritually just through so called “small” or “innocent” sins like irritability, spending money before praying first, over reacting to a situation etc. Then I am left with the handle which is the form of godliness without the power - without that live, vibrant relationship with Christ.
• He did not wade into the river feeling for the axe-head with his feet, while making as if nothing is wrong. Some people are just too proud to admit that they have lost their axe-head. What saved this man is that he immediately cried out and asked God’s child to help him. Still, by helping him Elisha did not take the place of Christ in his life.
• Ultimately only a miracle could save the situation. Such is the Christian life. Its roots are in a miracle – the miracle of the resurrection of Christ. In the same way it takes a miracle to save us out of a life of sin into the kingdom of God and it will take a miracle to sustain us and keep us on the walk of faith. It is a life we cannot live without faith.