So you didn’t want to laugh. You wanted to scream, to cry, to shout, “it’s not fair.” Maybe you were like In I Kings 19 when he runs for his life, and exhausted says, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” It’s a good thing God didn’t answer that prayer! He just let him sleep, sent an angel to touch him, and provided for his needs.
The fact is life sends us bitter disappointments at times. Can you imagine the disappointment of the man in our scripture reading for today? Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria. He had known great victory. He was honorable, great, respected. But there was something he was not able to conquer. His own health. He was plagued with leprosy.
You know he had to absolutely be at the end of his rope to even listen to the words of a servant girl through his wife. His hope was suddenly rising again. Maybe there was an answer to this madness he lived with. Nothing else had worked.
Notice when he tells the king of Syria, his hope is placed in the king of Israel. He sends this letter saying, “Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.” (v. 6) That certainly caused the king of Israel some consternation! He knew this hope was placed in the wrong person. He knew he wasn’t God. He thought Syria’s king was picking a fight!
Then, God’s man steps in. Basically he wants to know why the king is making such a fuss about this. “Please let him come to me,” he says, “and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Elisha knows Who his hope is in – the only One Who can meet this need.
Naaman wasn’t at all pleased with what Elisha told him to do. In fact, he was furious! To dip himself in the muddy Jordan river was unthinkable! There were rivers in his land that were way better.
But it wasn’t in the water. It was the active obedience that placed Naaman’s hope where it ought to be. Again, it was a servant who intervened to convince him to obey. Into the water he went seven times – and out he came – healed from his leprosy.
He had placed his hope in the only ONE who could change him. In God and God alone. All his aides, the prophet, and anyone else around heard him as he proclaimed, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. . .”
Lift up your eyes to where your help comes from today! Take your hurt, disappointment, exhaustion, loss of hope to Jesus. When we can’t “fix it” He can. He can change us or change the circumstance – whatever He knows is best. HE is our HOPE! HE is our PEACE! We can trust HIM!
Written by: Janene A. Dubbeld/FGG
Take it with You
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord Who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1 (NKJV)
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