Bible Passage:  2 Kings 6

The floating axe

Amazing miracles that Elisha performed that continues to awe me, just as Elijah’s did.

Yes I know the power of God is great, no doubt about that, I just cannot imagine someone with so much faith that what he does and say will always be supported by God’s miracles. He got a distress call from his servant because he dropped a borrowed axe into the river. Elisha simply cut a stick, threw it there, and made the iron float! Just what is the relation between a stick/branch and the iron? Only relation I can think of is the iron ax fell because the man was trying to cut down the tree. Still, I wouldn’t know what to do if a student were to ask me for such help. Elisha’s actions remind me of Jesus healing the blind man of Bethsaida. It is hard to explain his actions, but it is just amazing what happens.

Personally I will be also really distressed if I lose something that is given to me or I am made a steward of. In fact, God had saved me once recently from such a situation.

I was returning from a company trip on a Sunday and left my company laptop on the plane as I was rushing to get out of the airport to attend a church wedding. I had purposely tried to sit to the front of the plane and only took hand carry luggage so I could save time. That day, I was surprised that there was airport security setup to check all passengers leaving the terminal. This is extremely rare and I still thought to myself at the beginning that it is bad luck as it will delay me from getting out. However when the security officer asked me if I had a laptop in my bag, I realized that I had left it in the airplane! I quickly ran back to the aircraft to get it, and I got it back. The airport security check, which I had first thought was bad luck, was actually God’s saving grace to me!

Just few weeks later, I went on another business trip with some other consultants, and someone left his iPad on the plane and also only realized at the transit security. He went back to the plane, and to what he recalls as only 5minutes from the time he got out, but he never got it back. Indeed, there is no such thing as luck. God had saved me from something I know I cannot afford to lose.

God’s horses and chariots with Elisha

Elisha did not pray that God would change the situation when his enemies surrounded him. Instead he only prayed that his servant would have the faith as he has, being aware of God’s protection and having no fear of threat that lies before his physical eyes. Interestingly, following the servant’s gain of spiritual eyesight, Elisha asked God to struck the Syrian army with blindness! They were not totally blind as they could still follow Elisha’s instructions to move, but they did not recognize the man whom they were seeking.

Spiritual blindness and sight

What people fail to see spiritually does not mean that it does not exist, just like heaven and hell exist whether people want to believe in them or not.

More people not seeing something does not make it less real. At first only Elisha knew about God’s horses and chariots, and then later his servant was also given the grace to perceive. They were just two, but what they knew was real, even though others may not see it.

Similarly, we know that God is real, and we know the words of the Bible is real, even though majority of the people around us might be ignorant to His presence and His works. On the other hand, spiritual blindness causes such ignorant people to lose sight of what they truly need, and they are easily deceived.

May God grant us the grace to perceive, the faith to insist, and the power to lead others to see, not by sight, but by faith.