2Kings 6:6-7, “6 So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. 7 Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it”
River Jordan though dirty is a learning ground for faith. The Jordan is where John the Baptist bore record of Jesus as the Son of God and Lamb of God. In biblical history, the Jordan appears as the scene of several miracles, this was where the Israelites crossed dry land under Joshua (Joshua 3:15-17). Later the two tribes and the half tribe that settled east of the Jordan built a large altar on its banks as “a witness” between them and the other tribes (Joshua 22:10, 22:26). The Jordan was crossed by Elijah and Elisha on dry ground (2Kings 2:8, 2:14). Elisha performed two other miracles at the Jordan: he healed Naaman by having him bathe in its waters, and he made the ax head of one of the “children of the prophets” float, by throwing a piece of wood into the water (2Kings 5:14; 6:6).
The mention of the river Jordan here is a reminder to us that it takes God to do the impossible for those who have faith. We ought to teach our young people not to lose sight of trust in God at all times. The sons of sons trusted God through Elisha. You even notice in 2Kings 4:1, a certain widow who was a wife of one of the sons of the prophets seeking help from the God of Elisha, showing trust in God. And 2Kings 4:38-41 when there was famine in the land, Elisha tells them to prepare a pot of stew. There was something wrong with the soup and they turned to Elisha. Each of the miracles, he used something available but the trust was not on what he used but in God. Jesus used a boy’s lunch to feed the multitude.
2kings 6:6, “So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float The young man did not lose sight of where the ax head fell”. Let’s teach our young people to remember where they have failed, this is not to make them miserable but learning from those experiences and trusting God to bring them through. Elisha did not yell at him or even question him, all he did was ask where the ax head fell. And when he was shown, he did not start looking for the ax head in other words leaning on his own understanding or even asking others to look with him, he presented it to the Lord first doing his part “cutting off a stick”.
Let’s show our young people to cast their sticks (prayers) where the borrowed ax head has fallen. God takes delight in his people calling on him. What a joy to see a young person who has learnt the power of prayer and is not depending on the power of suggestions. Praying for small and big things, praying for knowledge, wisdom, purity, parents, unity, to be godly children, praying for their future careers, future spouses, etc knowing their trust is not in their parents but God and God uses the parents as one of the means to be a blessing to them.
When Elisha threw the stick, the iron did float. It’s not the stick that caused the iron to float and it’s not our prayers that cause things to happen, it’s the means by which God has chosen to hear His children while they recognize it’s His doing. Whosoever wills may call.
Elisha teaches us that sometimes the Lord would require something of us to accomplish what He has planned. He may require what is at our disposal. He has given us many things and while we use what is available, He will provide what is not available. “It’s not by might, nor by power but by the spirit of the Lord”. We are learning and teaching our young people that we are not depending on our own strength, that what we accomplish is not the source of our strength but the means by which God is at work in us. Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure”
Are your young people trusting in you for things or have you taught them to trust in the Lord demonstrating it in prayer? Do they look to you as the source or the means by which God provides for them. Proverbs 3:5-6, “5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths”, Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the LORD, than to put confidence in man”, Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God”, Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble”, Psalm 127: 1, “Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain”, what is the message to us and our young people? God can be trusted. Blessings Ev
He Has Magnified His Word 