June 10, 2015

“Make the Axe Head Float”

Blessings folk!

Three contemporary stories.
All true.
Forgive the length, but they must be told together.

(1) Yesterday, my daughter Lenee, covenant son Aaron and kids “lost” a dog.
Here is Aaron’s account as posted on his Facebook page...

So yeah, we somehow lost Pongo our dalmatian puppy. I'll admit I lost it a bit. Yes, I am sure I looked crazy standing in the street with my hands on my head while looking in every car window driving by hoping to see our Pongo. As well our neighbors probably thought I had lost my mind as I walked the streets, knocked on doors and prayed aloud that Jesus would bring back our pup. Then as I was headed back home I thought about how God must have felt having His creation walk astray from Him. How Jesus revealed for us just how much the father loved us. We were that one lost sheep that the shepherd went in search of. It may have seemed crazy to some, but when you see how much God loves us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, how much grace He gives us, my little moment of anguish seems miniscule.
Yes we found Pongo. Really Jesus answered the prayer of little Jude as He asked Him to bring his puppy back. It was there that we, as well as our son saw immediate fulfillment of prayer. Pongo was no where to be found, but at the end of that prayer Lenee' turned around and there he was. You may think me to be silly, but I believe Jesus cares that much. It is a lesson my kids will not forget. Our Father is there. He always hears us and He cares deeply for us.

This reminded me of something that happened 15 years ago.

(2) We were having a Bible study with “college-age” men and women.
Met at Victory Park...it had just become available to us.

While meeting, my wife and two youngest daughters arrived with a new puppy (whoopie :/… I think he was a “Wal-mart Parking Lot” dog).
Everyone played with the puppy.
Suddenly the puppy took off into the night.
Into the dark.
Into the drizzling rain.
Into the wood.

We searched and searched to no avail.
But, something had crossed my mind.
I thought the Lord was about to teach us something.
He did.
We gathered everyone in a circle and held hands.
I recounted this...

2Ki 6:1-7
Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “Behold now, the place before you where we are living is too limited for us.
“Please let us go to the Jordan and each of us take from there a beam, and let us make a place there for ourselves where we may live.” So he said, “Go.”
Then one said, “Please be willing to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I shall go.”
So he went with them; and when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.
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.”
Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And when he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there, and made the iron float.
He said, “Take it up for yourself.” So he put out his hand and took it.

We were about to pray that the Lord would “make the axe head float”.
Something obviously impossible in the natural.
When we were about to “assume the position” (bow our heads), the puppy came running out of the dark and stood in the circle of some 15-20 folk.
One of the young ladies stated “what just happened?”
We laughed and rejoiced.

And yes, we named the puppy “Elisha”.

1. Lastly, it was some years later and a few years back.

We needed to find a beloved family member.
We had not heard from them in a long time.
I felt that I was to travel and find them.
A rather long journey.

We, the Body of Christ, gathered and prayed that the Lord would “make the axe head float”.

I traveled some 14 hours.
Spent the next morning looking.
Finally parked and said, “Well God, I’ll stay here…”
In less than a minute the family member walked by on a busy, busy boardwalk.

Thus are the ways of the Lord.
Do we have eyes to see?
Do we have ears to hear?
Do we truly believe?
Are we willing to live in belief/faith rather than by what we can only see?

Trust the Lord.
Cast your cares upon Him.
He cares for you...and the puppies.