Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Kings+5.1-19

Scripture

But his servants approached him and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult would you have not done it?How much more when all he said to you was ‘Wash and be clean’?”

Observation

Naaman, a commander of the army of Aram suffers from leprosy. A Hebrew slave girl, captured by Naaman’s army, tells Naaman’s wife about Elisha’s ability to heal.

Naaman approaches his boss, the king of Aram, who writes to the king of Israel demanding that he heal Naaman. So Naaman comes to Elisha’s house. Elisha sends a messenger out to tell Naaman to go and wash seven times in the Jordan River.

Naaman is angry because Elijah has not acted in the way he expected, But his friends urge him to do this simple thing. Finally he is persuaded and he is healed.

Naaman responds to his healing by determining to worship no other god than the Lord. However he does seek Elijah’s blessing to accompany the king when he bows to idols.

Application

God doesn’t always act in the ways we think He should. He doesn’t answer prayers on our timetable and often he answers in ways that are beyond anything we would have imagined.

Miracles can be missed because we have fixed ideas about God’s methods and directions. The religious spirit deceives us into believing that the Lord is constrained by our words or actions.

Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and be humble and brave enough to do what He commands, whether it is something simple or something difficult.

Prayer

Lord help me to be open to your miracles, no mater how they come. Amen.