The Little Things



2 Kings 6:1-7
1 Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us.
2 Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.”
3 Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.”
4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.
5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.”
6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.
7 And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

As many of you know, our family was recently enlarged by the birth of our granddaughter, Anabel. The blessings of such an event cannot be overstated. It was my joy to go to the Pacific Northwest and be with my daughter for the birth. As everyone knows, predicting when a baby will be born is almost impossible. The doctors can get close – but babies tend to come when they want to. It was my dream goal to be present to help my daughter with the baby for as long as I was able to be there. I scheduled a 3 week window when I would be there (arriving on August 15th) and then I began the rather crazy prayer of “please Lord, let the baby be born on August 16th or 17th". She was due on the 19th, so I felt like it was a reasonable request. In truth, she could have been born any time 2 weeks earlier and a full week later than that. But, God heard this mother’s heart and granted my request. My daughter went into labor on the 16th and the baby was born on the 17th! The timing couldn’t have been more perfect! (For once, my plans and God’s seemed to jive!)

In our Elisha story for today, we see a very simple request being made. A borrowed axe head has fallen into the Jordan River and the young prophet responsible for the accident is distraught. To pay for a new axe head was probably well out of his reach and he would most likely have had to sell himself into slavery to pay for the loss. He cries out to Elisha for help and through God’s power the axe head floats to the surface! What we witness here is God’s action in the little things. He cared enough about this student of the faith to restore this axe head, saving him from embarrassment and possible financial ruin. Here we have proof that God is in the details. Did God have to help me out with the well-timed birth of Anabel? No He didn’t. But in His mercy, He took care of a small detail for me (and my daughter) and I give Him all the glory for that. It was a little thing, but it meant the world to me.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv
Read more

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl
Read more