TRUST GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE
And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. And he said, “Take it up.” So, he reached out his hand and took it (2 Kings 6:4-7).
The prophets asked Elisha if they could build a place to meet, so they went down to the Jordan to cut down trees and make poles for building the new meeting house. In the course of cutting, the axe head broke off and went into the river. Three thousand years ago, during the Iron Age, a metal tool was a thing of great value. It would have been handcrafted from a valuable resource. So this wasn’t just a nuisance, this was a disaster. Worse than that, it was borrowed, but when the man of God was told where it fell, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.
Elisha threw a stick of a special kind of wood into the river that—somehow—changed the chemical composition of the water to such a degree that the iron ax head was temporarily made to float like a bar of Dove Soap. Our God loves to do ridiculous things.
Today, people are desperately praying for things of a larger magnitude….. loss of employment, being evicted, concerned we are going to get the virus and desperately praying for those have been tested positive, some in our own families. We are praying for the messes and stresses of life.
The past may seem implausible and the future impossible, but God works in ways we cannot see. We can focus on the problem or we can choose to trust God. When we see obstacles, God sees opportunities. Our God is a God of miracles. No sea is deeper than the ocean of His love.
Charles Spurgeon said: “The Lord will make a way for you where no foot has been before. That which, like a sea, threatens to drown you shall be a highway for your escape.” You can trust God. He will not let you be tested more than you can stand, but when you are tested, He will also make a way out so that you can bear it. (I Cor. 10:13)
No matter what you are facing, when you pray, know that God is with you. It may even get worse before it gets better, but our Heavenly Father will see you through, even through ways you would think to be totally impossible.
If you’re in great trouble, have confidence in the God who can make the iron swim. If you have some worry, and you do not know what to do with it, or some work, and you do not know how to do it, look to the God who made the iron swim and let Him meet your needs. Trust Him, rest upon Him and know He will come through for you.
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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES
A Barna Poll recently revealed that one in three practicing Christians has stopped attending church during COVID-19. According to their survey 53% have streamed their regular church assembly over the past four weeks, while 34% are “church hopping” digitally streaming a different online service than their own. Sadly, 32% have dropped out of church for the time being. They are not attending, streaming worship services, or participating in on-line Bible studies. More than ever God’s people need each other. We need connection, community and fellowship.
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Professor Vicki Medvec studied Olympic athletes and found that bronze medal winners were much more satisfied than silver. The silver medal winners were always thinking of how close they came to gold. The bronze medal winners focused on thinking how close they got to not getting a medal.
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After more than four decades of observing leadership within my family and the many years of developing my own leadership potential, I have come to this conclusion: Leadership is influence. That’s it. Nothing more; nothing less. My favorite leadership proverb is: He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk. —John Maxwell
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QUOTES YOU CAN USE
Worship is forgetting about what’s wrong with you and remembering what’s right with God.
You are not just called to believe, but to belong. —Rick Warren