TRUST AND OBEY

2 Kings 5:1-15

Naaman was a valiant soldier and commander in the army of the king of Aram. He was highly regarded by the king, and respected by the people because the Lord had given him victory in Aram. Yet, he had a problem – he had leprosy.

The soldiers had taken captive a young girl in their raids, and she served Naaman’s wife. She noticed Naaman’s leprosy and said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman’s wife evidently repeated this to her husband and he told the king. The king gave Naaman permission to go; he even sent a letter to the king of Israel introducing Naaman, along with “...ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.”

But, when Naaman came to the king of Israel with the request to cure him of his leprosy, “…the king tore his robes and said, ‘Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy?”

“When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: ‘Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’

Naaman was miffed, actually, the scripture says, he turned away angry. He expected Elisha to come out to him and give him honor because of his reputation. Instead, he sent a messenger out to deliver the message. Why was Naaman so angry at the directions that would have cured him? Didn’t he want to be cleansed from that terrible disease? Didn’t he want a miracle? Oh yes, He did! But, he wanted it done his way. “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?”

Naaman’s pride and preconceived notions of what the prophet should do or how God should perform this miracle almost cost him the most glorious experience of his life. A servant put things in perspective for Naaman, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” Naaman finally humbled himself and went down to the muddy Jordan River and did as the prophet said. “His flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.”

Why does God choose a certain way to manifest His power? Does God ever surprise you at the way He chooses to answer a prayer? In Naaman’s case, perhaps He knew a deeper need than merely the cleansing of leprosy. I have found that God often looks deeper into my heart and checks my motives – and answers accordingly. He knows each heart and its deepest need. He knew that Naaman needed to recognize and submit to a greater power than his own self-reliance and self-sufficiency – which is really a spirit of pride. He knew Naaman needed to learn obedience.

“Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.’”

I look at how close Naaman came to missing God's deliverance, and take it to heart. I don't want to make that mistake either, for lack of trust and obedience. I recall an old song my grandmother used to sing: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."