He Restores What Is Lost There is a crazy story about the prophet Elisha and an iron ax head that floated on water, and the story foreshadows the events that made Jesus our redeemer. Here is a quick review of the story: One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, "As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. Let's go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet." "All right," he told them, "go ahead." "Please come with us," someone suggested. "I will," he said. So, he [Elisha] went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. "Oh, sir!" he cried. "It was a borrowed ax!" "Where did it fall?" the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. "Grab it," Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it. (2 Kings 6:1–7 NLT) Have you ever flown off the handle? Have you ever lost your head? Have you ever been defeated right in the middle of your hard work? Have you ever experienced a loss that you just can't fix? Have you ever forgotten until the mishap occurs that what you have lost was actually borrowed? Your life is not your own, you know. But the remedy for the lost ax head points to the remedy for every one of your losses. You find it at the end of the story.  Elisha had the man point to the exact spot where the ax head had entered the water. (In the same way, God has you humble yourself and identify honestly what has happened.)
And then, wonder of wonders, there is hope after all! Elisha cut a stick from a tree. (The cross of Jesus is called the "tree.") He pulled back his arm and lobbed the stick right to that spot. A miracle occurred. The heavy ax head that had just sunk like a stone to the bottom of the river bobbed to the surface as if it were made of wood itself. Hope! Miracles still happen. They never happen the way you may think they should, but in the end, you are altogether grateful. With God, your valleys of trouble yield to doorways of hope every time. And hope restores. I'm grateful to report that years ago my cancer miracle happened in Zion, IL. I had to endure some extremely difficult and expensive treatments. I also had some powerful prayer afterward. But as I sat in a small examination room, uncertain of what I would hear, my doctor matter-of-factly told me that my cancer was gone. "What? Could you repeat that?" "Your cancer is gone. It melted." "You said the cancer melted?" "Yes, it melted and is no longer in your body." I left the treatment center stunned by what I had just heard. I found a small, quiet restaurant, and took out my phone to share the amazing news with my four children and a few close friends. Waves of gratitude and awe washed over me each time I said, "The cancer is gone. The doctor said it melted." Miraculously, that cancer has never come back, and it is never going to come back again. I appeared before God in Zion (Psalm 84:5). I know beyond a shadow of doubt that I made it through the valley of the shadow of death. Iron can float, and cancer can melt away. I know. I am more than a survivor. I am an overcomer in Christ Jesus! No matter what you are going through right now—nationally, personally, physically, emotionally, spiritually—there is Hope in Christ Jesus. And hope restores in every situation—no matter how dark it may seem. Walking in Hope! James W. Goll (This article has been adapted from Chapter 5: "The Door of Hope" in James Goll's book, Tell Your Heart to Sing Again.) | 
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