No Downside Is Too Small for Prayer

Do you ever really feel too small for God, as if your worries don’t deserve his consideration? As if he has extra essential issues to do than are likely to that tough relationship, these hidden regrets, that dwindling checking account? When you’re tempted to imagine such lies, take into account an missed story in 2 Kings 6 — a narrative of small folks, small issues, and a small miracle that may rework our understanding of God.

Small Individuals

The story that comes simply earlier than this one is about an excellent man, a highflier, a Very Necessary Particular person: Naaman, the commander of Syria’s military (2 Kings 5). And the passage that instantly follows is about an much more essential particular person: Naaman’s boss, the king of Syria himself (2 Kings 6:8–33). Each males have nook workplaces, fly firstclass, and stay in gated communities. They’re large offers.

However not the folks on this story. They’re known as “the sons of the prophets,” a bunch gathered round a prophet corresponding to Elisha, studying from him and serving him. These are the blokes who work in a cubicle, fly financial system, and stay the place the homes are small and shut collectively. They’re not well-known or essential — actually, we’re not even instructed their names.

And but this passage tells their story. In between the internationally important narratives of an excellent army chief and a well-known political chief is an episode about no-names concerned in a purely native affair. This shocking curiosity in small folks appears to have been a recurring function of Elisha’s ministry (see the tales in 2 Kings 4). It’s additionally a trademark of the bigger biblical story (discover, for instance, the deal with unnamed minor characters all through the Gospel of Mark).

What’s extra, the Bible doesn’t simply present an curiosity in small folks for whom issues are going nicely — individuals who may be a internet acquire, even in their very own small means. Slightly, it demonstrates real look after small folks with issues. That’s actually the case for the sons of the prophets in 2 Kings 6. Actually, they’ve two issues.

Small Issues

The primary drawback is a housing concern. “Now the sons of the prophets mentioned to Elisha, ‘See, the place the place we dwell beneath your cost is simply too small for us’” (2 Kings 6:1). I get this. A number of years in the past, with our children getting older, our home felt cramped, so we moved to a bigger one. I wouldn’t deem our housing wants worthy of inclusion in Holy Scripture. Possibly the sons of the prophets felt equally. However right here’s their story — within the Bible. Apparently, the small issues of small folks matter to God.

On this case, the sons of the prophets come to Elisha not simply with an issue, however with a proposed answer. “‘Allow us to go to the Jordan and every of us get there a log, and allow us to make a spot for us to dwell there.’ And he answered, ‘Go’” (2 Kings 6:2). Generally God meets our wants via miraculous means (he’ll do this on this very story). Different instances he helps us via our personal exercise. Elisha doesn’t make a brand new home seem out of skinny air. As a substitute, the sons of the prophets mount a logging expedition and construct a home.

God usually works this manner. In accordance with Jesus, God feeds the birds of the air — however as one in all my seminary professors used to say, you don’t see birds mendacity on their backs, ready for God to drop worms into their beaks. He feeds them via their very own worm-finding efforts. Sure, God can present manna from heaven and bread by raven (1 Kings 17:3–6), however his regular technique of provision is our personal laborious work (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

“Ask God for his assist. Give him your burden. Give up your drawback. He needs you to ask.”

The second drawback entails a misplaced axe head. “However as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, ‘Alas, my grasp! It was borrowed’” (2 Kings 6:5). After all, this can be a tiny concern within the grand sweep of issues. However when an issue occurs to us, we don’t really feel that means about it. When it’s our injured leg, our dented automobile, our unfavourable job overview, our prolonged illness, the comparatively small drawback can really feel large. The unnamed man in verse 5 “cried out” — a time period connoting actual misery. He cries out, “Alas!” He can’t afford to interchange that borrowed axe head.

Sure, it’s a comparatively small drawback — however to not him. Will God even discover? Look what occurs subsequent.

Small Miracle

“Then the person of God mentioned, ‘The place did it fall?’ When he confirmed him the place, he reduce off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. And he mentioned, ‘Take it up.’ So he reached out his hand and took it” (2 Kings 6:6–7). The outline of Elisha as “the person of God” reminds us that Elisha, although a prophet, is a person. He must ask the place the axe head fell (apparently, the miracle doesn’t embody truly finding it!). However the time period “man of God” additionally reminds us that Elisha represents God, speaks for God, does miracles by the facility of God. God himself, within the particular person of his prophet, is concerned on this small miracle.

Elisha throws a stick into the water; the axe head floats. We’re not instructed why a stick is used, however that is undoubtedly a miracle. Iron doesn’t float. As miracles go, it’s a small one. Nobody is raised from the useless. The destiny of a nation doesn’t hold within the steadiness. There are few witnesses. Even the ending of the story is undramatic. “And he mentioned, ‘Take it up.’ So he reached out his hand and took it.” That’s it. Finish of story.

So, right here’s a abstract of this little story: Some small folks have a few small issues, and God meets their wants — in a single case via their very own planning and energy, and within the different via a small miracle. Possibly the story doesn’t appear all that essential, but I’m glad it’s within the Bible. It demonstrates that God cares about us and our on a regular basis issues. He acts on our behalf. If we’re attentive, we’ll see that in our personal lives.

No Prayer Too Small

I’ve seen God act this manner in my very own life. I’m a pastor, and some years in the past, I agreed to steer a graveside service for the deceased brother of a pal who lives on the town. My pal isn’t a follower of Jesus, so this appeared like an excellent alternative to serve him and deepen our friendship. The service was scheduled for 1:00, however one way or the other, I obtained it into my head that it started at 1:30. That day, I drove to the cemetery and arrived at about 1:20, pondering I used to be early. However as I walked towards the grave, I noticed many automobiles and a crowd of individuals. I checked out my notes, found I used to be actually twenty minutes late, and felt sick to my abdomen.

Surprisingly, although, as I neared the grave, I noticed pallbearers pulling a coffin out of a hearse and carrying it towards the grave. My pal greeted me and instructed me what had occurred. An out-of-town funeral house had pushed the coffin to the mistaken cemetery in our city. A grave had been dug at that cemetery for a unique funeral the identical day, and so they had lowered the coffin into that grave. It took time to find the error, get the coffin out of the grave and again into the hearse, and drive it to the suitable place. Actually, it took them twenty minutes. Which meant I arrived proper on time. I imagine that was the work of God. He knew each little element, cared for me, and prevented an unintentional offense in opposition to my pal. God did a small miracle for a small particular person (me).

Psalm 147:3–4 says that God “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the variety of the celebs; he provides to all of them their names.” God does large issues (like creating and naming the celebs) and little issues (like binding up the injuries of unhappy folks). So, right here’s an invite: Ask God for his assist. Give him your burden. Give up your drawback. He needs you to ask. He sees and cares, irrespective of how humble and hidden the difficulty. God took on flesh and got here to earth as a tiny, fragile, helpless child born to a handbook laborer. By doing so, he was saying, loud and clear, “I care about small folks. I used to be one myself.” Let’s deliver our issues, large and small, to him.