DATE POSTED Saturday, 2022-11-19
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Kings 5:10-12
TRANSLATION: The Message (MSG)

BIBLE TEXT: ¹⁰ Elisha sent out a servant to meet him with this message: “Go to the River Jordan and immerse yourself seven times. Your skin will be healed and you’ll be as good as new.” ^11-12 Naaman lost his temper. He spun around saying, “I thought he’d personally come out and meet me, call on the name of God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and get rid of the disease. The Damascus rivers, Abana and Pharpar, are cleaner by far than any of the rivers in Israel. Why not bathe in them? I’d at least get clean.” He stomped off, mad as a hornet.

APPLICATION: Throughout the Bible we are told of many things God did – that the people impacted, could never have thought of. Having never rained before, God had Noah build a boat to preserve the life of those God chose to save from drowning. Who would have thought? During their Wilderness travail, The Israelites were brought to a point where they couldn’t turn back without being eliminated by the Egyptian army, yet on ahead they faced the Red Sea. But God’s mighty hand made a way where there was no way for His people to cross on dry land, and the same miracle served to eliminate the Egyptian army that was in hot pursuit. Who would have thought? Word had gotten out about the miracles brought about through the prophet Elisha, so Naaman didn’t hesitate to travel in order to present himself to Elisha for healing. However, as indicated in the first two examples, God has the advantage of seeing what we need not just for the moment, but something that will draw us to Himself for as long as we are left on earth. Faith means that you would are willing to believe in something just because God says so, and not based on any previous experience or knowledge. Noah and his people had never seen rain before, but Noah was obedient to God’s command anyway. The Israelites had never heard of bodies of water being separated before, yet they chose to believe that the same God who showed them the parting of the waters, He would also keep them back while they obediently followed His command through Moses to cross over to the other side. Naaman felt like he was special, and as such, Elisha would methodically perform a personalized miracle on him in grand form. But notice in Naaman’s explanation of his disappointment that he was still referring to ‘his God’, meaning Naaman’s God. Wouldn’t you think that if you were going to travel a distance to see a prophet of God, for healing from God, that you would want to know that God actually thinks enough of you to heal you? Doesn’t it sound like perhaps Naaman should have met the Master, before asking someone to lean on Him on your behalf? Isn’t that how we tend to do it today though? Friends will demand that we have our pastor come to the hospital and pray for Susie’s healing – Susie, the one who has been a terror all her life and wants nothing to do with God. But doesn’t it sound like your friend, Susie, and Naaman must feel like God’s puppet will do whatever you demand of them? But wait, where is the healing coming from? Without God in the mix, let me assure you that Elisha, nor your pastor who is being demanded by your friend, could heal anyone. It is God, and God alone who heals. Both Naaman and Susie need Jesus. Yes, He may choose to heal their physical bodies, but what Jesus is really after is their heart, soul and mind, for then He could save them for all eternity and present them to the Father in heaven as a blood washed child of the one true God. Let’s show by example that we could follow God’s instructions exactly. Perhaps others will then see the love and mighty works of God in our lives and want to know Him also.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Naaman was brought to his senses and realized that God knew what He was doing through the instruction given through Elisha. Oh, that we may also acknowledge that Jesus is Lord – Lord of all lords.

PRAYER: Thank You Jesus for not giving up on us, even in our stubbornness, disobedience, and especially when we feel like we know it all, like Naaman. Please forgive us and help us to always respect Your commands, Your healing and Your love. Help us to never stand in the way of God working through us to touch the lives of others following in our footsteps. Your ways are not our ways and Your thought are different to our thoughts, so help us to always follow in obedience instead of looking for evidence or past experience to support Your mighty work. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!