The Woodcutter
Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word to Your servant.
Psalm 119:76
Elisha’s school for prophets had prospered, and their meeting place had become too small. Someone suggested they go into the woods, cut logs, and enlarge their facilities. Elisha agreed and accompanied the workers. Things were going well until someone’s axehead fell into the water (v 5).
“Where did it fall?” the prophet Elisha asked (v 6). When the man showed him the place, Elisha threw a stick into the water and “made the iron float” (v 6). “Pick it up for yourself,” he said. So the man “reached out his hand and took it” (v 7). Some have suggested that Elisha simply probed in the water with his stick until he located the axehead and dragged it into sight. That would hardly be worth mentioning. No, it was a miracle: The axehead was set in motion by God’s hand and began to float, so the man could retrieve it.
This miracle illustrates a simple but profound truth: God cares about the small things of life—lost axe heads, lost coins, lost keys, lost files, lost contact lenses—the little things that cause us to fret and worry. He does not always restore what was lost (for reasons of His own), but He understands our loss and comforts us in our distress.
Next to the assurance of our salvation, the assurance of God’s care is essential. Without it we would feel alone in the world, exposed to innumerable worries. It’s good to know He cares and is moved by our losses—small as they may be. Our concerns are His concerns.
Bible Reading
2 Kings 6:1-7.
Prayer
Loving God, here are my concerns. Please take them, provide as You see best, and give me Your peace. In Jesus name. Amen.
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