Where Did It Fall?
Where did it fall? That question was asked of a servant of the Lord by the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 6:6. Just a simple inquiry by someone helping another in need, yet it provides great insight for those who truly desire to serve God.
The prophet had a group of disciples that he was training for service, and they were at work building a dwelling place in their new ministry location. The event is recorded in verses 1-6 of 2 Kings 6. While working, one of the disciples had the head of his ax fall off and drop into the river. God displayed His power and caused the ax head to be recovered. Several insights of truth are clear in the story that are helpful to each of us. Verse 5 reveals that the ax head was borrowed. And in verse 6, we see that it was necessary to return to the place where it was lost in order to retrieve it. What a powerful lesson. As Christians, we perform God’s work with borrowed resources—His! Occasionally, in the course of ministry, we get off track and lose our power. The only way to regain that power is to return to the place where it was lost. The unfortunate reality is that we often try to continue chopping down trees with the remaining ax handle. We don’t understand why the work is not as effective as it used to be, and we eventually give up in frustration. Why do we act like that? The answer is simple: pride. In order to get it back, we must acknowledge that it is lost. Then, we must ask for help in getting it back. It only takes a simple choice to lose the ax head of God’s power, and it only takes a simple confession to see it float back up to the surface of ministry. Yet, until that step is taken, the ax head remains at the bottom of the river and unusable for God’s work. Have you lost the power of your ministry for the Lord? Take Elisha’s counsel to go back to the place where you lost it and “pick it up for yourself.” (v. 7) God gives grace to the one who responds in humility.
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
