The Power of a Simple Miracle

This week in our series of messages on the life of Elisha, A Life of Amazing Faith, we come to a lesser-known miracle performed by Elisha. You probably have never heard a sermon about this miracle; you might never have even heard of it. You'll find in 2 Kings 6:1-7 a story about loss, frustration, rescue, and relief.

When Elisha's students had to build a new living quarters due to their growing numbers, one student's axe broke while cutting down a tree. The iron axehead went flying into the nearby river and was lost. The tool was borrowed and the unlucky student would not be able to afford reimbursing the owner for the loss of the valuable iron. Desperate, the student came to Elisha and begged him for help. Elisha agreed, followed the student down to the river, and made the heavy axehead float so that it could be retrieved.

So that's the great miracle? He makes it float? No one's in danger, or starving, or dead and needs resurrecting this time. But don't dismiss it- there is power in a simple miracle. We've all faced moments in life when something doesn't go right. This situation reminds us we all have times when we come to the end of our own ability. We desperately need God to step in and do what only He can do.

The miracle Elisha performed mirrored his previous miracles; Like multiplying the oil, or feeding a hundred from a loaf, making the iron float brought great relief to a person with nothing. It was a quiet miracle from a powerful God through His compassionate servant.

Elisha's miracle shows us that Jesus will always help when we need it. He lifts us up when the pressures of the world keep us down. Ask for help and God pays our debts, protects us, and will perform miracles for us. When we are desperate we need only to depend on Him.