Post: June 16, 2011
Reading: 2 Kings 6:1-7
'School's in Session'
"But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water;
And he cried out and said, "Alas, my master! For it was borrowed."
Living in tight quarters has its challenges. To some extent I can imagine how the prophets might have felt. I was raised in a two bedroom house with nine people, always full of activity, family and friends. My mother suffered with major health issues and my father had a serious drinking problem. It seemed like there was nowhere you could go in the house where there wasn't lots of people.
The school of the prophets was experiencing overcrowding. The students were resourceful when confronted with a problem. They were going to make a place to live from beams of wood around the Jordan. As a wise leader, Elisha used the situation as a teaching opportunity. One day at work, as one of students, "was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water". Not good. Home Depot wasn't around the corner to get another one. Now this prophet had reason to be concerned for two reasons. The axe head was floating down the river and the axe was borrowed. "God used this event not only to build character and faith in the life of the student, but to also build the prophets' confidence in their teacher Elisha. In every event in life, we need to pray that we learn what God is teaching us. God's school is always in session.
Create in me oh God, a teachable heart and spirit.
May I learn the lessons I need to learn so that
I may become more like you.
