The axhead

One day, a group of prophets said to Elisha, “The place where we meet is too small for us. Let’s go to the Jordan River and cut logs for a new building.” Elisha liked the idea and went along with them.

As they were chopping down trees, one of the axheads came off its handle and fell into the water.

“Oh, sir,” the man cried, “it was borrowed!”

“Where did it fall?” Elisha asked.

So the man showed him the place. Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water. As he did, the axhead floated to the surface, and the man was able to lift it out.

Why do things go wrong—even when we work for God?

Imagine being part of a team building something for God’s kingdom. Surely God would not allow anything to go wrong when you are doing your best for Him. Yet even when a group of prophets were building a larger place to meet, something happened to frustrate them and slow them down. What made matters worse was that the ax had been borrowed.

There are different reasons why things go wrong when we are serving God. The devil is not going to sit with his arms folded while people get excited about serving God. Although his power is limited, he will do his best to disrupt God's work.

God also has reasons for allowing things to go wrong, even when we are doing something for Him. When we serve the Lord, we may be tempted to become proud of what we are doing. Sometimes God allows things to go wrong to remind us to rely on Him. He wants us to follow His plans and do things in His strength. At other times, He may simply want to slow down our busyness and remind us to spend time with Him.

So when things go wrong, you can be sure there is a reason, even though you may not be able to see the good that will come from the situation.

Verse for today

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

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