The Place Is Too Small
2 Kings 6:1-6
Introduction
There comes a moment in every believer's life, in every ministry, and in every congregation when we must honestly assess where we are and where God is calling us to go. Sometimes we find ourselves in seasons of growth that demand expansion, and other times we discover that we've lost something precious along the way. The story we find in 2 Kings 6:1-6 speaks directly to both of these realities.
The sons of the prophets came to Elisha with a simple but profound observation: "The place where we dwell with you is too small for us." This wasn't a complaint about their physical accommodations, but rather a recognition that God had been working among them, increasing their numbers and expanding their influence. Growth had created a beautiful problem that required a faithful response.
Yet as we'll see in this passage, even in the midst of doing God's work and building for His kingdom, we can encounter moments where we lose our spiritual cutting edge. The very process of building, serving, and expanding can sometimes lead us to a place where we realize the power that once drove us forward has somehow slipped away.
Today, we'll explore three essential truths from this remarkable passage that speak to our individual lives and our collective mission as the body of Christ.
I. When God Increases, We Must Expand
"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.'" (2 Kings 6:1-2)
The sons of the prophets were not casual believers or spiritual dilettantes. These were men who had dedicated their lives to God, studying the Scriptures with intensity, practicing prophecy with devotion, and submitting themselves to be discipled by one of the greatest prophets in Israel's history. They understood that spiritual growth requires both personal commitment and communal investment.
As the Word of God went into these men, something beautiful and inevitable happened: they began to increase numerically. This is always the pattern when God's people take His Word seriously. When we genuinely engage with Scripture, when we allow it to transform our hearts and minds, when we live out its principles in our daily lives, growth becomes not just possible but inevitable.
But growth creates responsibility. These men recognized that their expansion wasn't just about numbers, but about effectiveness. They weren't content to simply crowd into an inadequate space and call it faithfulness. They understood that being good stewards of God's blessing meant taking practical steps to accommodate the growth He was providing.
This principle applies to every area of our spiritual lives. When God blesses our marriages, we must expand our capacity to love and serve each other. When He increases our families, we must grow in wisdom and patience. When He enlarges our ministries, we must develop new skills and structures to handle the responsibility effectively.
The sons of the prophets didn't wait for someone else to solve their problem. They took initiative, presented a plan, and were ready to do the work themselves. They said, "Let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there." This wasn't about finding someone else to build for them; this was about rolling up their sleeves and participating in the solution.
Notice that Elisha's response was immediate and affirmative: "Go." When God's people recognize legitimate needs and present reasonable plans to address them, spiritual leadership should be quick to provide support and encouragement. Sometimes the greatest gift a leader can give is simply the permission and blessing to move forward.
II. One Person's Call Can Constitute God's Direction
"Then one said, 'Please consent to go with your servants.' And he answered, 'I will go.'" (2 Kings 6:3)
In our statistics-driven world, we often make the mistake of believing that God only moves when the numbers are impressive. We wait for overwhelming consensus, for undeniable signs, for massive movements before we're willing to acknowledge that God might be calling us to action. But this passage teaches us a profound truth: the request of even one person can constitute a call from God.
When one of the sons of the prophets asked Elisha to come with them, it wasn't because the entire group had voted or because there was some desperate need that required the prophet's presence. It was simply one person expressing a desire for Elisha's companionship and participation in their project. And remarkably, Elisha agreed to go.
This challenges us to never succumb to what we might call "the scourge of statistics," where we analyze what we will do and where we will go based purely on numbers. The apostle Philip experienced this same principle in Acts 8. He was involved in a huge revival in Samaria, seeing incredible results and touching hundreds of lives. Yet when the Spirit called him away to minister to just one man in the desert, Philip obeyed without hesitation.
That one Ethiopian eunuch became the catalyst for the gospel reaching an entire continent. Sometimes God's greatest works begin with our willingness to respond to what seems like a small request, to minister to what appears to be an insignificant need, to follow what looks like a minor leading.
How many times have we dismissed opportunities because they didn't seem big enough, important enough, or promising enough? How often have we waited for a larger platform when God was calling us to be faithful in a smaller setting? The ministry of Jesus Himself demonstrates this principle repeatedly. He was always willing to stop for one person, to address one need, to respond to one request.
This doesn't mean we should chase after every opportunity or respond to every appeal. But it does mean we should be sensitive to the Spirit's leading, even when that leading comes through what appears to be a single voice or a small request. Sometimes the most significant moments in our spiritual journey begin with our willingness to say yes to something that seems relatively minor.
III. Maintaining the Cutting Edge of Spiritual Power
"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." (2 Kings 6:4-6)
The most dramatic and instructive part of this passage occurs when one of the men finds himself in a predicament that would be familiar to anyone who has ever served in ministry. While doing the work of God, while participating in a legitimate building project, while being exactly where he was supposed to be, the axe head he was using fell into the Jordan River.
The axe head in this story serves as a powerful symbol of the cutting edge of spiritual power and effectiveness. It represents the Holy Spirit's work in our lives, the divine enablement that makes our service meaningful and productive. Without this cutting edge, we're left with nothing but the wooden handle of human effort and fleshly striving.
The only way we can build anything of lasting value—whether it's ministry or marriage, families or friendships—is if we build in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Psalmist declares that those who build apart from the Lord labor in vain (Psalm 127:1). We can follow every principle of leadership, every technique of ministry, every strategy for success, and still fail miserably if we're not operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. As the prophet Zechariah reminds us, it is "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord" (Zechariah 4:6).
But here's the sobering truth that this man discovered: the axe head was borrowed. The power over our lives is not our own. If we begin to think that the effectiveness of our ministry or the success of our endeavours is because of our own abilities, our own wisdom, or our own efforts, we're setting ourselves up for a devastating fall. Like Samson, we may one day wake up and attempt to do battle, only to discover that the Spirit of the Lord has departed (Judges 16:20).
Scripture gives us clear warnings about how we can lose this cutting edge. We're told to "grieve not the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 4:30). The Father declares that "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever" (Genesis 6:3). Paul warns us to "quench not the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19). These aren't idle threats but loving warnings about the fragility of our spiritual effectiveness.
How did this man lose his axe head? He lost it in the process of service. He was trying to do what was right, working alongside his brothers, participating in a godly project. But somewhere along the way, he became careless. Here's an important truth: an axe head doesn't fall off suddenly. It becomes loose slowly, gradually, almost imperceptibly.
This is how we lose our spiritual cutting edge. It's rarely a dramatic fall or a sudden departure from faith. More often, it's a slow drift, a gradual loosening of our grip on the things that keep us sharp and effective. We get busy with the work of ministry and neglect the cultivation of our relationship with the Minister. We become so focused on serving God that we forget to commune with God.
At this point, all the young man had was a wooden axe handle. Wood in Scripture is symbolic of the flesh (1 Corinthians 3:12). Here was a young man, doing the work of ministry, and suddenly the power was gone, leaving him with nothing but the wooden handle of human effort. To his credit, he didn't say, "So what if the axe head is gone? Who cares if the power has departed? I'll just use this handle and make the best of it."
But isn't that exactly what we often do? We continue ministering even when the anointing has lifted. We keep going through the motions even when the power has departed. We maintain the external form of service while operating purely in the energy of the flesh. This is not only ineffective; it's dangerous and dishonouring to God.
This man's response was exactly right: "Alas, master!" This cry of honest recognition is always the first step to reclaiming the cutting edge. Open and honest confession that we're not operating at the spiritual level we once knew is always the place where restoration begins. Pride will keep us pretending that everything is fine. Denial will keep us going through the motions. But humility will bring us to the place where we can acknowledge our need and seek God's help.
Elisha asked one crucial question: "Where did it fall?" This is the same question Jesus asked the church at Ephesus when He said, "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and how you cannot bear those who are evil. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works" (Revelation 2:2-5).
The question for each of us is personal and searching: Was there a time when you loved the Lord more radically than you do today? Was there a season when you worshiped more fervently, served more consistently, and studied more diligently? Was there a time when you couldn't wait to get into God's Word, when witnessing was natural and joy-filled, when prayer was a delight rather than a duty?
If so, the path to restoration is clear. Remember how it once was and then repent. Acknowledge before God that you're not in the place you once were or in the place you long to be. Then do your first work again. What were you doing when you were walking closely with the Lord? Did you get up early to pray? Do it again. Did you open your home to share the gospel? Do it again. Did you come consistently to Bible study and worship? Do it again.
The solution is beautifully simple: go back to the place where you lost your cutting edge and recover what you've lost. Elisha took a stick and threw it into the Jordan River, and when the flesh was cast into the place of expectation, the cutting edge reappeared. This is a picture of what happens when we humble ourselves, acknowledge our need, and take the practical steps necessary to restore our spiritual effectiveness.
If you think iron can't float, consider the USS Missouri. Battleships are made of iron, and they float quite well when they're properly designed and maintained. In the same way, our spiritual lives can be restored to effectiveness when we apply the proper principles and maintain the right relationship with the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
The story of the sons of the prophets teaches us that spiritual growth brings both opportunities and challenges. When God increases our influence, our families, our ministries, or our responsibilities, we must be willing to expand our capacity to handle what He's entrusting to us. We cannot be content with arrangements that worked when we were smaller if they're no longer adequate for where God is taking us.
We've also learned that God often works through what appears to be small beginnings. The request of one person can constitute a divine call, and our willingness to respond to seemingly minor opportunities can position us for major impact. We must resist the temptation to wait for impressive numbers or overwhelming consensus before we're willing to step out in faith.
Most importantly, we've discovered that maintaining our spiritual cutting edge requires constant vigilance and periodic restoration. The power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is not something we can take for granted or treat carelessly. It requires intentional cultivation, careful maintenance, and honest assessment.
If you find yourself in a place where the spiritual cutting edge has been lost, take heart. The same God who made iron float can restore effectiveness to your life and ministry. The path is clear: remember where you lost it, repent of whatever led to that loss, and return to the practices that once kept you sharp and effective.
Whether you're facing the need to expand, the opportunity to respond to a small beginning, or the challenge of restoring lost effectiveness, the message of this passage is clear: God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). The place may be too small, but our God is more than big enough to help us build something greater for His glory.
May we be people who recognize when it's time to expand, who respond to divine opportunities regardless of their size, and who never allow ourselves to continue serving with a wooden handle when God wants to restore our cutting edge. The work is too important, the time is too short, and our God is too good for us to settle for anything less than His best.
"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." (2 Kings 6:6b-7)
The cutting edge is available. Will you reach out and take it?
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Blessings,
Pastor JM Raja Lawrence
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
email: lawrencejmr@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 9933250072
