~ by Terry Walters
2 Kings 5:1-16
While Hamlet may have pondered whether to live or not,
most of us are concerned with simple daily decisions.
Do this thing or not. Eat this or something else.
Wear this or a different outfit.
And yet, often it is more serious
because it is, “Do I obey or not?
Naaman went to Israel to seek
a healing from his leprosy. He took many gifts
to reward whoever would do this for him.
He went to the King first. He was
instructed to go to the Prophet.
At the prophet’s house, he met only
with the servant. The servant passed on the
orders to dip in the local river seven times.
Naaman felt insulted. He was disappointed.
His pride got in the way. It didn't make sense!
Why wouldn't the Prophet see him?
Why just dip in the water? Shouldn't
there be some big ceremony or special incantations?
And why this river? The rivers in his land were better!
At first, he went away upset, but one of his
servants convinced him to do as the Prophet said.
Naaman changed his mind, dipped seven
times, and was completely healed!
God honors obedience.
Sometimes what God's word tells us
to do just does not seem sensible.
We want to know why, but we don't get an answer.
We rationalize our confusion and attitudes,
maybe even our disobedience.
But in the end, if we want
God's blessings, we need to obey!
Prayer: Father, forgive us when we have doubts.
Forgive us for letting pride get
in the way of obedience. Help us to trust
You no matter what you ask of us.
Help us remember that Your ways and thoughts
are way above our ways and thoughts!
P.S. Recently, we had to make some hard choices.
The Corona virus pandemic caused our
government to suspend our constitutional right
to freedom of worship for a short time.
As American believers we could have defied
the government after the initial emergency,
claiming our rights, but the Bible
says in Romans 13 for us to obey them!
Obeying God meant not having large groups for
worship, Bible study, prayer, church camps, or VBS.
How could that be right?
Because God said obey the government!
He never said we had to do the other activities
in the way we have chosen to do them.
So, we chose to simply obey God. That is always right!
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