2 Kings 5:13–14: “And [Naaman’s] servants came near and spoke to him, and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

July 30th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was a leper. He came to Israel seeking healing, and the prophet Elisha told him to go and wash in the Jordan River. Naaman didn’t like that command. His servants took a risk speaking with him since he was “in a rage,” but it seems they loved and trusted him. The logic of their gentle question is beautiful and should be applied to each of our lives as well. They were saying, “If you had been asked to perform a great feat of courage or pay a great sum of money, would you not have done it? Surely you would have been willing to cross a rushing river or a perilous gorge, or even wrestle a bear or lion, empty handed. So if you would be willing to do something great, why not something simple?”

If God would just tell us to do some great thing in order to be cleansed from our sin, like build a hospital for the poor, feed 10,000 starving orphans, or walk 3000 miles, we would be more than willing. There is something within every human being that drives us to want to earn forgiveness, and that something is pride. We want to do it our way. Naaman had his own ideas of how his healing should be accomplished. If he was just going to be asked to wash in a river, why not the rivers of Syria instead of the old, muddy Jordan River? The better question would have been, “Why not simply do it God’s way?” Naaman’s servants logically presented the argument of nothing ventured nothing gained. Naaman wisely let their counsel prevail, and he came up out of the water healed.

Scripture is filled with many exciting things that God has done because someone dared to venture out in faith and trust God’s word. Even though sometimes it doesn’t make sense, why not give it a try? Who knows what God might want to do? Today may offer you a golden opportunity to become God’s instrument to change world events. Why not step out and try a venture in faith? We need to trust in the word of God and the promises of God this day. It is always exciting to make ourselves available to God for His purposes and become part of His answer for the world.

“LORD, please give us the courage to do and say whatever You ask of us, in Jesus’ name.”

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2 Kings 5 KJV

¹ Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.    ² And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.  ³ And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.   ⁴ And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. ⁵ And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.  ⁶And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewithsent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. ⁷ And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. ⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. ¹⁰ And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. ¹¹ But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.   ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.  ¹³And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it ? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? ¹⁴ Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. ¹⁵ And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. ¹⁶ But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused. ¹⁷ And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. ¹⁸ In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORDpardon thy servant in this thing. ¹⁹ And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way. ²⁰ But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. ²¹ So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?  ²² And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. ²³ And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare thembefore him. ²⁴ And when he came to the tower, he took themfrom their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.  ²⁵ But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou , Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. ²⁶ And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee , when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? ²⁷ The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.