Tuesday January 24, 2017

 

The fact that you may not like something does not mean that it is bad for you. Likewise, liking something does not mean that it is good for you. Moreover, the fact that often times what God wants for our lives does not make sense does not mean that we should disregard it.

 

The majority of us have some sense as to what God wants us to do and where He is leading us. However, when we analyze our circumstances, what God wants simply does not make sense. I know God wants me to forgive that person, but after what they did to me, that does not make sense. I know God wants me to be more giving, but when I consider my finances, it does not make sense. We find ourselves in the dilemma of whether or not to trust God. What is interesting is that God knows that what He is asking of us does not make sense to us. However, the goal is not our cooperation, His goal is that we would trust Him.

 

Today, I would like to share with you the story of Naaman. Naaman was the Captain of the army of the King of Aram and had fallen ill with leprosy. Several times a year, Naaman and his army would cross over into Israel to plunder it and to take anything they wanted. On one occasion, they took a young Jewish girl captive who served as Naaman’s wife. She told of a prophet in Israel who was able to heal her husband. Seeing he had nothing to lose, Naaman decided to go to Israel to visit the prophet. Naaman was greatly feared because every time he went to Israel he took something from them. When he arrived with his army at the prophet’s home, the prophet did not bother to come out and greet him. He simply sent a messenger to tell Naaman to bathe in the Jordan River. The Bible tells us, that Naaman was expecting the prophet to come out and place his hand over the affected area of his body and to say a prayer in the name of the Lord. What actually took place, made no sense to him. Fortunately, one of the men accompanying Naaman told him that since he made the trip he might as well trust God since he really had nothing to lose.

 

2 Kings 5:14-15 NIV

 

So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 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.

 

Naaman had no way of knowing just how important his decision to trust God was. Naaman sought the prophet so that he would transform his circumstances and in the end, it was he who was transformed. It is important to note that Naaman makes no mention of his divine healing; he was overwhelmed with the idea of the existence of the one and only God. Like Naaman, we do not have the slightest idea of the importance of trusting God even when He asks us to do something that does not make sense.