No Exemption
with Bayless Conley
2 Kings 6:1-7 gives us some important insight into how to regain our spiritual edge,
And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell." So he answered, "Go." Then one said, "Please consent to go with your servants." And he answered, "I will go." So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed." So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. Therefore he said, "Pick it up for yourself." So he reached out his hand and took it.
There are a number of principles I want to draw from this story.
Although we will be focusing on the one man who experienced the loss of his ax head, for today's devotion I want to draw your attention to the majority.
As we see from this Scripture, this school for the prophets was needing to expand, to build a bigger building. And notice that everyone had a part to play in what God was doing. It says "Let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell."
In God's Kingdom plan, being spiritually sharp is not for just a few people. We all have a responsibility to grow. There is no exemption.
God has a role for you to play. You have not been given an exemption from being a part of God's kingdom plan. He has a part for you to play in His great plan to reach the world!
Are You Just Swinging the Handle?
As you look at your life today in honesty and transparency, perhaps you would have to say that you have lost that edge, that excitement, that zeal, that spiritual passion you once had.
If indeed you have lost your edge, how can you get it back? Over the next seven days, I will help you understand how to regain your spiritual edge based on 2 Kings 6.
The first principle I want to focus on is based on the man who lost his ax head, as we learn in 2 Kings 6:4-5,
…when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water.
Now, it would have been senseless for him to have kept chopping with a wooden handle with no ax head on it, wouldn't it?! He would make no progress.
And yet that is what a lot of Christians do today. They have lost their cutting edge, and they are just going through the motions, making no progress at all.
They are chopping away with just a wooden handle!
They think, "Well, I know I'm supposed to go to church, so I will go. As long as I keep busy, maybe nobody's going to know the state of my heart." And they will do this not just for weeks or months, but some people have been doing this for years.
No progress, no growth. They are just swinging that handle without an ax head.
If this is you, do not just keep swinging the ax handle. If you are not making progress, admit it. Until you are willing to face up to the fact that you have not been growing, you can never regain your spiritual edge.
Looking to the Master
In 2 Kings 6:5, we read the second in our series of seven principles to regain our spiritual edge. It is the response of the man who lost his cutting edge,
But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed."
When this man lost his ax head and it fell into the water, he cried out and said, "Alas, master!" He went to the prophet.
The prophet was God's representative in that day. He was the mouthpiece of God. If you wanted to hear from God, you went to the prophet, and the prophet would give a word from God.
Today, thank goodness, we have direct access to God as individuals. We can go directly to the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Master. And that is the second principle to regaining your spiritual edge. You need to realize the only One who can restore your edge once it is lost, is the Lord Jesus Himself.
You need to get your eyes off of men and get your eyes on the Master. Some people make a great mistake because they have their eyes on men. You will always be disappointed if your eyes are on men instead of on the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is only One who can help you regain your spiritual edge, and that is Jesus Christ. No man or woman can take His place.
So today, put your eyes on the Master. Cry out to Him to help you regain your spiritual edge.
Taking Responsibility
Today we are on the third key to regaining your cutting edge. The first was to admit you have lost your edge, and the second was to put your eyes on the Master. The third is to take responsibility if you have lost your spiritual edge.
I want to take you back to 2 Kings 6:5,
But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed."
It is important to understand that ax heads do not just fall off. They fall off because they are not properly maintained.
I have spent endless hours chopping wood, and I have owned a number of fine axes in my time. But in all the years I have chopped firewood, I have never had an ax head fly off.
The only reason an ax head would fly off is if the one using the ax has not been taking care of it. This must have been the case for the guy in 2 Kings 6 who lost the ax head. He was responsible to make sure the ax head would stay on.
The point is this: If you have lost your cutting edge, you need to take responsibility. If it is something that you did, or neglected to do, repent. Take responsibility and stop blaming other people.
As much as you might like to point the finger at the last church you went to, or your spouse, or your boss, or whatever it might be, no one can take your cutting edge away from you. Only you can cause it to be lost.
Stop blaming others, and take responsibility if you have lost your edge. It is a necessary step toward regaining your spiritual sharpness.
Where Did it Fall?
The fourth key to regaining your cutting edge is found in verse 6 of 2 Kings 6,
So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
The words I want you to focus on are, Where did it fall? That is quite a question. And look at the response, And he showed him the place.
That is the fourth key, to know where you lost your cutting edge. Unless you go back to that place, you cannot retrieve it; and unless you are willing to deal with whatever issue caused you to lose your cutting edge, you will never regain it.
Did you notice that the man knew right where he lost his cutting edge? If you will be honest, you can probably point right to the time you lost, or began to lose, your edge spiritually.
Perhaps it was when you became offended because of what someone did. Or maybe it was when you started watching too much television, or when you began hanging around with a certain person.
If when asked, "Where did it fall?" you cannot immediately point to the place, take some time to commune with your own heart and be still. It won't be long before your answer comes.
This is essential because if you are to regain your edge, you need to start where you lost it.
The Cross is Enough
Key number five to regaining your spiritual edge is also found in 2 Kings 6:6,
So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
Why a stick? What does a piece of wood have to do with it?
Please remember that this story is in here for our benefit, and every part of it is significant. I believe this piece of wood is a type of, or points to, another piece of wood where something happened that is very significant to us.
I believe it points to the cross, that piece of wood where Christ was crucified for you and for me, and that God wants us to realize that Jesus' sacrifice at Calvary was enough to take care of all our problems, and restore us no matter our spiritual state.
It is enough to cleanse us and restore our spiritual edge. In fact, it is the only thing that has the power to do it.
If you have lost your zeal for God and you have become spiritually dull, repent and say, "Jesus, I believe that Your work on the cross was enough to restore me."
If you apply what He did on that piece of wood, it is enough to restore you, no matter how far you have fallen away from where you should be. He took your failure, and He nailed it to that cross. He rose from the dead victorious on the third day, and He offers that victory to you!
If you have lost your cutting edge, the cross of Christ and the blood shed upon that cross are enough to take care of everything.
A Miracle-Working God
Once again I want to take us back to 2 Kings 6:6, which provides for us the sixth key to regaining your cutting edge.
So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
Perhaps you are wondering just what other principle for regaining your spiritual edge can come from this verse. Well, there is one more, and it is critical to understand because it points to God's part in the process of restoration.
I want you to look at the words, "And he made the iron float."
I don't know about you, but I have never seen an iron ax head float. Clearly this was a miracle. God worked a miracle when the man did his part, looking to the master, taking responsibility, and going to the place where the ax head was lost.
You do your part; God does His part. I like the King James Version as it says, ...the iron did swim. It was against that ax head's nature to swim, but God made it swim.
God brings the restoration. He brings the healing. He brings back that sensitivity and usefulness to Him. I pray that right now God is at work in your heart, and you are responding, making adjustments...regaining your cutting edge.
As you admit to those areas where you have lost your spiritual edge, God is going to restore it. God's part is to make that ax head float once you have admitted where you have failed!
He can restore what has been lost, even if it takes His miracle power to do it.
Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
with Bayless Conley
2 Kings 6:1-7 gives us some important insight into how to regain our spiritual edge,
And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell." So he answered, "Go." Then one said, "Please consent to go with your servants." And he answered, "I will go." So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed." So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. Therefore he said, "Pick it up for yourself." So he reached out his hand and took it.
There are a number of principles I want to draw from this story.
Although we will be focusing on the one man who experienced the loss of his ax head, for today's devotion I want to draw your attention to the majority.
As we see from this Scripture, this school for the prophets was needing to expand, to build a bigger building. And notice that everyone had a part to play in what God was doing. It says "Let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell."
In God's Kingdom plan, being spiritually sharp is not for just a few people. We all have a responsibility to grow. There is no exemption.
God has a role for you to play. You have not been given an exemption from being a part of God's kingdom plan. He has a part for you to play in His great plan to reach the world!
Are You Just Swinging the Handle?
As you look at your life today in honesty and transparency, perhaps you would have to say that you have lost that edge, that excitement, that zeal, that spiritual passion you once had.
If indeed you have lost your edge, how can you get it back? Over the next seven days, I will help you understand how to regain your spiritual edge based on 2 Kings 6.
The first principle I want to focus on is based on the man who lost his ax head, as we learn in 2 Kings 6:4-5,
…when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water.
Now, it would have been senseless for him to have kept chopping with a wooden handle with no ax head on it, wouldn't it?! He would make no progress.
And yet that is what a lot of Christians do today. They have lost their cutting edge, and they are just going through the motions, making no progress at all.
They are chopping away with just a wooden handle!
They think, "Well, I know I'm supposed to go to church, so I will go. As long as I keep busy, maybe nobody's going to know the state of my heart." And they will do this not just for weeks or months, but some people have been doing this for years.
No progress, no growth. They are just swinging that handle without an ax head.
If this is you, do not just keep swinging the ax handle. If you are not making progress, admit it. Until you are willing to face up to the fact that you have not been growing, you can never regain your spiritual edge.
Looking to the Master
In 2 Kings 6:5, we read the second in our series of seven principles to regain our spiritual edge. It is the response of the man who lost his cutting edge,
But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed."
When this man lost his ax head and it fell into the water, he cried out and said, "Alas, master!" He went to the prophet.
The prophet was God's representative in that day. He was the mouthpiece of God. If you wanted to hear from God, you went to the prophet, and the prophet would give a word from God.
Today, thank goodness, we have direct access to God as individuals. We can go directly to the Lord Jesus Christ who is our Master. And that is the second principle to regaining your spiritual edge. You need to realize the only One who can restore your edge once it is lost, is the Lord Jesus Himself.
You need to get your eyes off of men and get your eyes on the Master. Some people make a great mistake because they have their eyes on men. You will always be disappointed if your eyes are on men instead of on the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is only One who can help you regain your spiritual edge, and that is Jesus Christ. No man or woman can take His place.
So today, put your eyes on the Master. Cry out to Him to help you regain your spiritual edge.
Taking Responsibility
Today we are on the third key to regaining your cutting edge. The first was to admit you have lost your edge, and the second was to put your eyes on the Master. The third is to take responsibility if you have lost your spiritual edge.
I want to take you back to 2 Kings 6:5,
But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed."
It is important to understand that ax heads do not just fall off. They fall off because they are not properly maintained.
I have spent endless hours chopping wood, and I have owned a number of fine axes in my time. But in all the years I have chopped firewood, I have never had an ax head fly off.
The only reason an ax head would fly off is if the one using the ax has not been taking care of it. This must have been the case for the guy in 2 Kings 6 who lost the ax head. He was responsible to make sure the ax head would stay on.
The point is this: If you have lost your cutting edge, you need to take responsibility. If it is something that you did, or neglected to do, repent. Take responsibility and stop blaming other people.
As much as you might like to point the finger at the last church you went to, or your spouse, or your boss, or whatever it might be, no one can take your cutting edge away from you. Only you can cause it to be lost.
Stop blaming others, and take responsibility if you have lost your edge. It is a necessary step toward regaining your spiritual sharpness.
Where Did it Fall?
The fourth key to regaining your cutting edge is found in verse 6 of 2 Kings 6,
So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
The words I want you to focus on are, Where did it fall? That is quite a question. And look at the response, And he showed him the place.
That is the fourth key, to know where you lost your cutting edge. Unless you go back to that place, you cannot retrieve it; and unless you are willing to deal with whatever issue caused you to lose your cutting edge, you will never regain it.
Did you notice that the man knew right where he lost his cutting edge? If you will be honest, you can probably point right to the time you lost, or began to lose, your edge spiritually.
Perhaps it was when you became offended because of what someone did. Or maybe it was when you started watching too much television, or when you began hanging around with a certain person.
If when asked, "Where did it fall?" you cannot immediately point to the place, take some time to commune with your own heart and be still. It won't be long before your answer comes.
This is essential because if you are to regain your edge, you need to start where you lost it.
The Cross is Enough
Key number five to regaining your spiritual edge is also found in 2 Kings 6:6,
So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
Why a stick? What does a piece of wood have to do with it?
Please remember that this story is in here for our benefit, and every part of it is significant. I believe this piece of wood is a type of, or points to, another piece of wood where something happened that is very significant to us.
I believe it points to the cross, that piece of wood where Christ was crucified for you and for me, and that God wants us to realize that Jesus' sacrifice at Calvary was enough to take care of all our problems, and restore us no matter our spiritual state.
It is enough to cleanse us and restore our spiritual edge. In fact, it is the only thing that has the power to do it.
If you have lost your zeal for God and you have become spiritually dull, repent and say, "Jesus, I believe that Your work on the cross was enough to restore me."
If you apply what He did on that piece of wood, it is enough to restore you, no matter how far you have fallen away from where you should be. He took your failure, and He nailed it to that cross. He rose from the dead victorious on the third day, and He offers that victory to you!
If you have lost your cutting edge, the cross of Christ and the blood shed upon that cross are enough to take care of everything.
A Miracle-Working God
Once again I want to take us back to 2 Kings 6:6, which provides for us the sixth key to regaining your cutting edge.
So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
Perhaps you are wondering just what other principle for regaining your spiritual edge can come from this verse. Well, there is one more, and it is critical to understand because it points to God's part in the process of restoration.
I want you to look at the words, "And he made the iron float."
I don't know about you, but I have never seen an iron ax head float. Clearly this was a miracle. God worked a miracle when the man did his part, looking to the master, taking responsibility, and going to the place where the ax head was lost.
You do your part; God does His part. I like the King James Version as it says, ...the iron did swim. It was against that ax head's nature to swim, but God made it swim.
God brings the restoration. He brings the healing. He brings back that sensitivity and usefulness to Him. I pray that right now God is at work in your heart, and you are responding, making adjustments...regaining your cutting edge.
As you admit to those areas where you have lost your spiritual edge, God is going to restore it. God's part is to make that ax head float once you have admitted where you have failed!
He can restore what has been lost, even if it takes His miracle power to do it.
Visit the Answers with Bayless Conley website for more ways to Connect with God
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