There was a school of prophets at Bethel. Elijah, followed later by Elisha, were mentors there (2Kings 6:1-7). The students needed a bigger hostel. They were ready to build the house, to do the manual labor. But they wanted their Master, Elisha, to go with them. They appreciated the presence of the old Prophet. Elisha could sit in the shadow of a tree by River Jordan and teach them God’s Word of pray for them. You see that at that time, the prophets were not wealthy. They had to borrow their tools. Elisha rejected the money offered by Naaman. It is a great blessing when younger Christians desire the presence of elderly servants of God. They knew that Elisha had more wisdom and experience than them. ‘An old man sited on the ground sees farther away than a young man who climbs an iroko tree’ (Naija proverb). Elisha agreed and went with them. It is beautiful when pastor and congregation serve God together in the unity of the Spirit! Suddenly, one of the young men, as he was cutting down a tree, lost the iron head of his ax in the water. Jordan river is muddy, and the ax could not be seen again. He panicked because it was a borrowed head. The young man did two things that saved him from this crisis. First, he immediately ‘cried out’. He did not hide his mistake. He could have pretended that all is well and continued to work with only the wooden stick. Many Christians are too proud to confess their sins, that they need help or prayer. If this young man used the wooden stick to work, he could have greatly slowed down his work. Also, when the metal ax head is later found, the wooden stick will be too damaged to fit in. The second good thing this young man did was to go to the old prophet. He knew that Elisha has more wisdom, more experience. Selah!

Elisha asked him: where is the exact place where it fell? Lesson: When you commit sin, there is a moment in time when you chose to rebel. There is a moment in time when you chose to resist the voice of the Holy Spirit. You must visit that painful and shameful moment. Many refuse to do so. They hinder the recovery miracle. Lesson: humble yourself; tell God and your pastor where I started to go astray. It is a place and moment in time. It is important to visit the beginning of your sin. Go to the Cross. Christ crucified for your sins. That is the place where the lost shall be found. The heavy iron head is a symbol of our sins. The story here is a symbol of baptism in water. You die in the mud of sin, and you rise by God’s power. The ax is a symbol of power for the ministry. “As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion]” (PV 27:17; AMP). This power can be lost through disobedience, love for the world, and lack of prayer. “If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength; but wisdom [to sharpen the axe] helps him succeed (with less effort)” (Ecc10:10; AMP).  Selah!

Just the way Moses cut a tree and threw it into the bitter water to make it sweet (Exo 15), Elisha also cut a stick and threw it into the river. Suddenly, the iron ax head floated to the surface. Elisha told the young man: Pick it up for yourself. There was no need for the man to swim into the muddy waters and get injured. All he had to do was to stretch his hand and take back his lost blessing. Christ is the Head of the Church. If you disconnect from the Head, you will sink into the mud of sin. You can’t work for God with only a stick in your hand. That stick represents the power of the flesh. Jesus said: “Without Me, you can do nothing!” (Jn15:5). But once you reconnect with Christ, you can do all things thru Him who continually strengthens you (Phil 4:13). Lesson: God is the God of miracles. He has the keys to every closed door. He helps us even with the little things. In Christ, the lost shall be found. The prodigals will come back home. The power of resurrection can locate and retrieve your lost blessings. The same power is the key to pay off any debt, to bring you out from poverty and shame, to build a house for you. Just believe! The work of God never stops! The worship of God continues forever! Worship the Lord!