Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 6:1-7
There is a very short story in the Old Testament that we sometimes read and simply pass over. It is a simple story about a man who went with the prophet Elisha and a group of other people to cut some logs. While he was cutting wood, the head of his axe came loose, flew off, and disappeared into the water.
It is such a small story that we may wonder why it is even in the Bible. We read about kings and battles, the crossing of the Red Sea, the crossing of the Jordan River, and all the great miracles of Scripture. Why would a little story about a lost axe head deserve a place in the Word of God?
But we believe that every word of Scripture is inspired by the Spirit of God. Everything that has been written is there for our instruction, our encouragement, and our spiritual strength. There is no great battle in this story. No prophet is calling fire down from heaven. There is simply a young man who went out with a group of people to cut some logs beside a river.
As he was cutting, the axe head came loose. Suddenly, he was left holding nothing but a wooden handle. He cried out to the prophet Elisha and told him what had happened. Elisha asked him where the axe head had fallen. The man showed him the place, and Elisha threw a stick into the water. Then, amazingly, the iron axe head floated to the surface.
That is the whole story. But why is this story in the Bible?
Perhaps the simplicity of the story is exactly the point. God cares about even the smallest things in our lives. There is nothing too small for God, and there is nothing too great for Him.
Sometimes we think that certain things are too insignificant to bring to God. If we lose a key, for example, we may simply think, “I can make another key.” We don't think it is important enough to pray about. We may think there are much bigger problems in the world and much bigger things for God to deal with.
But this story reminds us that there is nothing too small for God. We can bring even the smallest needs of our lives to Him. God cares about His children, and He is willing to give us direction and guidance even in the ordinary circumstances of life.
This is especially meaningful as we grow older. Many of us are in our prime years or have already passed our prime. We look back at a life filled with experiences, accomplishments, responsibilities, and opportunities. But we may also realize that we no longer have the same energy and strength that we once had.
Sometimes we may even wonder, “What is the purpose of me being here?”
As we get older and become tired, we may feel that we are not as fruitful as we once were. But this little story gives us strength to move forward. God wants to use even the smallest and weakest among us. It doesn't matter to God how weak we are or how sick we may be. God still has a purpose for us.
To me, the axe head represents the power to get the job done. It represents the cutting edge. Without the head of the axe, what good is the axe? You can swing the handle all you want, but you are not going to accomplish much.
Sometimes we wonder about ourselves in the same way. We may say, “What good am I when I am walking with a wheelchair or using crutches?” But God has a purpose for you.
God created you for a purpose. Your circumstances may change, your strength may change, and your abilities may change, but God's purpose for your life does not disappear simply because you have become weaker.
That is why this simple story has such great meaning. When the axe head is gone, you can keep swinging, but you are only swinging a wooden handle. It doesn't make much sense.
Sometimes pastors can find themselves in a similar situation when they come to preach on Sunday morning. I remember a pastor who used to come to church every Sunday carrying a large stack of papers for his sermon. One Sunday, while he was preaching, he suddenly stopped in the middle of the message and began flipping through the pages. He knew something was wrong. Finally, he said, “Uh-oh. I lost a page.” What do you do as a church when the pastor loses a page? He simply said, “Okay, I'll move on to the next page. Just please pray for me.”
That reminded me of another story I recently read about a pastor who lost his entire sermon. His dog had eaten the sermon that morning, and he came to church with nothing to preach. He told the congregation, “I don't have anything to preach to you because the dog ate my sermon.” Somehow, he managed to get through the service. At the end of the service, as he stood at the door greeting people, someone came up to him and said, “Pastor, if you ever want to give away that dog, please give it to me. I want to give it to my pastor.”
Sometimes we find ourselves short-handed. Sometimes we feel as though we don't have what we need. Sometimes we lose our strength, our confidence, our energy, or even our sense of direction.
But when we find ourselves in situations like that, we can always trust in a God who is all-powerful and almighty. He can get us through situations like that, no matter how small or how big we think the problem is.
The setting of this story is also important. The prophet Elisha was running what we might call a school of prophets. In those days, prophets would gather disciples around them and teach them about prophecy, the Word of God, and Scripture. These young men lived together and studied under the prophet as they prepared for their future ministry.
It was somewhat like a college or seminary campus. They were students learning under the direction of a prophet. But the group had a problem. They were running out of space.
They wanted to build a larger place where they could live and study together. I believe that is a good problem for a church to have. It is a good thing when a church is growing so much that it begins to run out of space. One day, I believe God can open doors for us in the same way.
But notice what these men did. They did not simply sit around complaining about the lack of space. They said, “Let us go and build.” They were willing to pick up their tools and get to work.
That is another lesson for us. Everyone in the church and everyone in the community has a place to do God's work. Wherever you live, whether in your neighborhood, your subdivision, your community, your workplace, your government, or your church, you have a place and a responsibility.
Instead of complaining and asking, “Why doesn't somebody do something about this?” we should ask, “What can I do?” These men understood that everybody had a responsibility. Everyone was expected to go into the forest, cut a log, and help build the new place.
That is how ministry grows. That is how a church grows. That is how a community grows. It happens when people are willing to take part. Maybe you are weak. Maybe you are older. Maybe you don't have the strength you once had. But you are still here, and that means God still has a purpose for you.
Sometimes we pray, “Lord, please do something about this.” And perhaps God answers, “Have you done your part?” We all have to chip in and pitch in when there is a need. God gives each of us opportunities to serve, and we should be willing to use those opportunities.
We see the same principle in the book of Nehemiah. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls that had been destroyed, the people worked together. Scripture tells us that the people had a mind to work. (Nehemiah 4:6). They built the wall with their hands, each one doing what he could.
The kingdom of God has always advanced through people who have a mind to work, people who are willing to take responsibility and do what they can.
In this story, everyone was willing to work, but one man had a problem. He had borrowed an axe. Borrowing an axe was not a bad thing. He did not own one, so he borrowed one. But whenever you borrow something, it is always a good idea to check it out first.
Apparently, this axe had a loose head. I think about some of the tools we have at home. We have a couple of axes where the heads seem to come loose. I don't know how my wife manages to do that! Whenever I pick one up, the head seems to come off almost immediately. Perhaps that is one reason I don't go out and do much of that kind of work. I don't want to deal with it!
This man probably should have checked the axe more carefully before he began cutting wood. And apparently, loose axe heads were not just a minor inconvenience in those days. It was such a serious problem that Moses actually made a law concerning it.
Deuteronomy 19:5 says that if a man goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and he swings his axe to fell a tree and the axe head flies off and strikes his neighbor and kills him, the man could flee to one of the cities of refuge to save his life.
I was surprised when I came across that reference. It shows us that loose axe heads were an actual problem in their society. They could cause serious injury or even death.
So perhaps it really was a good idea to check the axe head before going out to cut wood. Maybe this man didn't do that.
But before we judge him too harshly for not checking his axe, we need to look at ourselves. We are sometimes like that man. At one time or another, we may find ourselves swinging away with only a wooden handle in our hands. We may think we are strong, but something has become loose inside us. Our faith becomes weak. Our energy disappears. Our enthusiasm is gone.
Before we become too critical of this man, let us check ourselves. We all make mistakes.
We can all become powerless and weak at times when we are supposed to demonstrate strength in our faith. Think about Peter. Peter denied Jesus at the very time Jesus needed him most. He denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. Jesus had already told him that this would happen.
We might jokingly ask, “Why did the rooster have to crow? Why not blame it on the rooster?” But the problem was not the rooster. The problem was Peter's weakness of faith.
Jesus knew exactly what would happen. God understands our weakness. He knows that we are weak sinners living in a sinful world. There are times when we lose our faith, lose our energy, or lose the power we once had.
Sometimes it happens because of a lack of prayer. Sometimes because of a lack of fellowship. Sometimes because we have stopped doing the things that once strengthened our relationship with God.
But let us remember that there is a God who understands even the weakest moments of our lives.
Sometimes we think God is interested only in the big things. That is not true.
Don't hesitate to bring even the smallest things of your life to God. He is deeply concerned about His children, both in the smallest things and the biggest things.
Small things can make great things happen.
Think about the doors in our buildings. Some doors are enormous, while others are small. Yet every one of them swings on a little hinge.
It amazes me that a huge door can move because of something so small. The smallest things in life can sometimes be the greatest things that make the big things swing around us.
God knows that. He understands the importance of the little things, and He will give us guidance when we need it. Remember the little boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish. What was that compared to the thousands of people who were there?
It was just a little boy's lunch. His mother probably packed it for him and said, “Here, take this with you.” But that little boy was there for a purpose.
God did not look at him and say, “He's just a little kid who came to listen to Jesus.” Instead, God used the small resource that the boy had.
I have always admired that little boy. When they asked for his lunch, he didn't run away. If I had been there, I might have said, “No! I'm not giving you my lunch.” I probably would have stayed away from all those people who were trying to take my food!
But that boy was willing to give what he had to Jesus. And what happened? God blessed that little resource. The little boy's lunch became a blessing to thousands of people.
The same thing happened with Moses. Moses had a rod in his hand. He was a shepherd, so he was accustomed to carrying that rod. But when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and speak to Pharaoh, Moses came up with excuse after excuse.
He said, in effect, “I'm just a shepherd. I don't know how to do this. I am not qualified.” And God asked him a simple question: “What is in your hand?”
Moses didn't have military training. He didn't have weapons. He didn't have anything impressive to show God. He simply had a shepherd's rod. God told him to put it on the ground. Moses obeyed, and the rod became a serpent. Then God told him to take it by the tail. Moses obeyed, and immediately it became a rod again.
What was God teaching Moses? God was teaching him that when God calls you to do something, God can equip you with the power you need. God does not look for a few good men.
We often hear slogans about “a few good men,” but that is not what God is looking for. God is looking for sinners who need redemption.
He is looking for people who recognize their need for Him. He is looking for the outcast, the broken, and those whom society may overlook. That is what Jesus' ministry was all about.
Jesus went beyond the boundaries and barriers of religion and reached the people who needed God the most. He spent time with sinners and tax collectors, the very people the religious leaders were casting aside.
One of the complaints against Jesus was that He was eating and spending time with sinners and tax collectors. But Jesus knew exactly why He had come. He had come for the people who needed God the most.
That is what our ministry should be about as well. Our ministry is not simply to stay together as a group of people who already know God. We are called to reach out to those who are outside, to the people who need God the most.
Jesus said that anyone who wants to follow Him must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. That is commitment.
I often use the example of a bacon-and-egg sandwich. In a bacon-and-egg sandwich, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed! There is a difference between involvement and commitment.
God wants committed Christians. He wants us to be willing to follow Him even when it costs us something, even when it costs us our lives. Jesus said that if we want to follow Him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
The cross is not a beautiful thing to carry. It is painful. It can be costly. For some Christians throughout history, it has even cost them their lives.
That is what Christian faith means: loving others even when it costs us something. God Himself showed us that kind of love. God is a good God who continues to love us even when we fail and falter.
And God's presence in our lives is the greatest blessing we can have. In this story, the man cried out to the prophet, “I lost my axe head.” Not only had he lost it, but it wasn't even his. He had borrowed it.
Yet the prophet did not scold him. Elisha didn't say, “Why didn't you check your axe? Why are you here wasting my time?” Sometimes we respond to people that way. But that is not how God treats His children.
Think about the prodigal son. The son went away and wasted his father's wealth. When he finally returned home in repentance, the father did not interrogate him. He didn't say, “Show me the accounting. Tell me exactly how you wasted all that money.”
He simply welcomed him home. That is unconditional love. That is the love God has shown us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
And that is the same kind of love we are called to show the people around us. We are called to love without being judgmental, without constantly asking questions about their past, and without making them prove that they deserve our love.
We are called to share the love that God has already shown us. The prophet caused the solution to float to the surface. Can you imagine an iron axe head floating on water?
That is something you would never expect to see. Metal sinks. An iron axe head should go straight to the bottom. But God made it float.
That is the miracle.
When we place our problems into God's hands, God can perform miracles. Sometimes He will ask us to wait. Sometimes He will tell us that the miracle is going to happen right in front of us.
The important thing is that we trust Him. The Apostle Paul understood this. Paul had some kind of physical problem that was bothering him. We don't know exactly what it was, but Paul prayed repeatedly for God to remove it. He prayed, but he did not receive the healing he wanted.
Finally, God gave him an answer: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
When we find ourselves weak and struggling, we must never forget that there is a God who can show His power through our weakness. Sometimes we are so proud that we don't want to bring our needs to God.
But God is good. He wants us to bring our needs to Him. He will answer our prayers and give us the blessings we need, even when we think our needs are too small or insignificant to bother Him with.
The man in this story cried out in despair, and the prophet asked him an interesting question: “Where did you lose it?”
At first, that question may not seem important. The axe head was lost in the water. What difference did it make where it was?
But Elisha wanted to point the man back to the place where he had lost it.
There is another important lesson here. When we find ourselves drifting away from God, we need to go back to the place where we lost our faith. Where did you lose your joy? Where did you lose your peace? Where did you lose your sense of direction? Where did you lose your closeness with God?
We need to track our path back. I remember a story about a boy who lost a key in a dark parking lot. He was searching underneath a streetlight. Someone came along and offered to help him look. They searched for a while but couldn't find the key. Finally, the person asked him, “Are you sure you lost it here?” The boy said, “No. I lost it over there, but it is too dark there. I'm searching here because there is a streetlight.”
Sometimes we do the same thing with our spiritual lives. We look in the wrong place because it is easier. Instead, we need to go back to where we actually lost something.
Track your life back. Where exactly did I lose my joy? Where exactly did I lose my faith? Where exactly did I lose my peace?
Perhaps there was an argument in your family on a particular day. Perhaps something happened at work. Perhaps someone hurt you. Perhaps you stopped praying. Perhaps you stopped fellowshipping with other believers.
Go back and identify the place where things began to change. Then bring it to God.
Say, “Lord, this is what happened. This is where I lost my joy. This is where I lost my peace. This is where I began to drift.”
When we acknowledge what happened, God can begin to restore what was lost.
God is a good God. He can take us back to the place where the problem began and guide us toward the right solution.
The Bible reminds us that we are like sheep who can easily stray. But He is the Good Shepherd. His call is still open: Follow Me.
And when we follow Him, God can restore our joy and our peace. That is exactly what happened to this man. He lost something, but God restored it.
If we have lost our joy, God can restore it. If we have lost our peace, God can restore it.
If we have lost our sense of direction, God can restore it.
Psalm 139 gives us a beautiful prayer from David: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts, and see if there is any grievous way in me.”
That is the prayer we need to bring before God. “Lord, search me. Know my heart. Show me what is wrong. Show me where I have wandered.” When we come before God, we don't have to pretend that we are good enough.
We can come as we are. That is the good news of the Gospel.
As we prepare ourselves for the Lord's Table, we come as we are and take part in the sacrifice God has given us through Jesus Christ.
We are not coming because we are a group of good people. We are coming because we are sinners who need a Savior.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
The story of the floating axe head may seem like one of the smallest stories in the Bible. But perhaps that is precisely why it is so powerful.
It reminds us that nothing is too small for God.
It reminds us that God can use what we have, even when what we have seems insignificant.
Five loaves and two fish can feed thousands.
A shepherd's rod can become an instrument in God's hands.
A lost axe head can float.
A weak person can still have a purpose.
A sinner can be redeemed.
A person who has lost faith, joy, peace, or direction can find restoration.
And a person who feels that he has nothing left to offer can still be used by God.
So don't underestimate the little things. Don't underestimate yourself.
Don't think that your weakness disqualifies you from God's purpose.
And don't be afraid to bring even the smallest problem to God.
If you have lost something, ask yourself, “Where did I lose it?”
Then go back.
Bring it to God.
And trust Him to restore what you have lost.
Because when the axe head is lost, God knows exactly where it is.
And when we place our lives into His hands, He is still able to make the impossible float.
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