Elisha and the Floating Axe Head
When a borrowed axe head falls into the river, Elisha performs a miracle, causing the iron to float to the surface.
The company of the prophets said to Elisha, 'Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.' Elisha agreed and went with them.
As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. 'Oh no, my lord!' he cried out. 'It was borrowed!'
In those days, iron was expensive and valuable. To lose a borrowed tool was a serious matter—the man would owe a debt he likely could not repay. His distress was real.
The man of God asked, 'Where did it fall?' When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. The iron floated to the surface.
'Lift it out,' said Elisha. And the man reached out his hand and took it.
This small miracle reveals something profound about God's character. He cares about the everyday concerns of His people. A lost tool, a financial worry, a moment of distress—none of these are beneath His notice. The God who parts seas and calls down fire also makes iron float for a worried student.
Elisha's miracle demonstrated that no problem is too small for God. He is the Lord of both the great and the ordinary, the cosmic and the commonplace.