Today’s Reading:
2Kings 5:1 - 14
“Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honourable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valour, but a leper”. (v. 1)
Naaman was the "Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff"; of his day. The military leader of one of the region's most powerful nations. The Bible says, "Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a great man in his master's sight and highly regarded because through him, the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was a brave warrior . . ."; (2 Kings 5:1). Did you hear those descriptive words? Don't we all want people to use them for us? Commander, Great, Highly regarded, Victorious, Valiant. Here was a man that had power, position, and prestige. He was successful. He was a winner. He was wealthy. He was a hero. He was respected. He was admired. He was envied.
"But - a three-letter conjunction. That small word changes everything. ";. . . but he had a skin disease" … “but a leper” (2 Kings 5:1). He could think about all of his accomplishments; he could enjoy his power and position and prestige; he could admire his home and his wealth; but they all seemed to vanish as he stared into the mirror each day. Each time he looked at himself there was something looking back that defined his life. He was a leper, and nothing could change that fact. The fact is Naaman was a leper. Leprosy was the Covid -19 or AIDS of Naaman's day. Lepers were isolated and humiliated. They were outcasts - the original untouchables. They were forced to wear torn clothing and shout, "Unclean, unclean!" anytime they encountered an uninfected person. Leprosy was the most feared disease of the day. It was extremely contagious and, in many cases, incurable. In its worst forms, leprosy led to death. Naaman"s leprosy was probably in its infant stage or a mild form. He had concealed it, but now his clothing would not cover it up. While people treated him respectfully, now nobody would touch him. The lack of touch hurt Naaman deeply. What is your leprosy? What problem are you trying to conceal? What hurt are you trying to cover up? What prevents you from getting close to other people? Where do you need to be touched? We, too, like Naaman, have our disfigurements. We, too, have become very proficient in covering up our problems. We, too, need God's healing touch. Can we say to the Lord, "It's not my brother or my sister, but it's me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer."
What can we learn from this downward descent?
A. We need people in our lives who look past our haughtiness to see our hurt. (v. 2-3). Naaman's wife's servant had been taken hostage from an Aramean raid into Israel. Now she served in Naaman's home tending to his wife's every need. She was not intimidated by Naaman's power, position, or prestige. She saw his pain. Called it by name. Knew of a pain reliever. And told Naaman where he could find help.
B. We need humble people in our lives who look past us: ... who look past our job titles, our bank accounts, our cars, and our houses - and see our loneliness and our need and our hurt. We need people who will touch us at our point of need. We need people who will call our problems like they see them. We need people who see our blind spots. We need people in our lives who love us enough to not let us make stupid mistakes.
C. We need people in our lives who will demonstrate the four C's of loving relationships:
Concern - speak the truth in love to us
Commitment - walk through the pain with us
Confidentiality - know the struggles are kept between us
Consistency - maintain regular contact with us
In practising these steps these trusted partners are saying, "I believe the best in you. And, I'm
going to help you become the best. "
D. We need places in our lives that will provide us with safety and security. (v. 4-5): To Naaman, Israel was a conquered nation. What did it have to offer? Militarily it did not present much of a threat, but spiritually it provided refuge.
E. We all need prophets in our lives who will point us to the cure. (v. 8)
F. We all need a prescription for our lives that will lead to a healing. (v. 10) He finally
humbled himself in complete obedience to the loving instructions of God's messenger. And in doing so he was touched by God and healed in a way that did not fix his expectations. "So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean" (2 Kings 5:14). If his leprosy defined his earlier life; it was God's healing that redefined his later life. Having experienced the grace of God he was changed, not only physically, but spiritually and vocationally. Naaman stood before Elisha and said, "I know there's no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant" (2 Kings 5:15). Naaman went from being a sick man to a healed man, an ungodly man to a godly man, a lost man to a saved man, a great man to a gracious man, and from a commander of men to a servant. Here was a man that had felt the touch of God and was changed.
What is your own leprosy? Is it sin, pride, position and so on, will you and I humble ourselves before God so he can touch us? As we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, lets also believe that He can heal us.
OLAJIDE OGUNFUWA
Prayer:
I reject physical or spiritual leprosy in my life and household, in Jesus’ name.
Every sickness or ailment bringing disgrace into my life and family is hereby healed, in Jesus name.
Father Lord, you gave Naaman testimony after he obeyed, please give me testimony, in Jesus name.
Lord heal Nigeria from sickness of leprosy and restore our lost glory, in Jesus name.
Father make all our spiritual leaders like Elisha who speak your words and not after money or position, in Jesus name.
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