“Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man… in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but a leper. Now the Syrians… had carried off a little girl from Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘Would that my lord were with the prophet in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went and told his lord,.. and the king said, ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’
“So he… brought the letter to the king of Israel… When the king read [it], he… said, ‘Am I God, to kill and make alive..?’
“Elisha the man of God… [said], ‘Let him come to me, that he may know there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger, saying, ‘Go wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored…’ Naaman was angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought he would surely come out to me and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not the rivers of Damascus better than the waters of Israel?..’ He went away in a rage. His servants… said, ‘It is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said, “Wash, and be clean?”‘ So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan,.. and his flesh was restored.., and he was clean.” 2 Kings 5:1-14
Naaman’s important position could not keep him from contracting leprosy, but it did from the humble steps required to cure it. Informed of the prophet’s abilities, in extravagant pomp, he arrived at Elisha’s house, only to be addressed by a messenger instead of the man. His importance rebuffed, he raged at the instruction to dip in an inferior river, but the Lord used yet another servant to set the commander right. Once cleansed of disease, he was refused even his gift of thanks. God alone was supreme. (2 Kings 5:15-16)
Oh, how we like to feel important! What we’ve done, who we know, where we’ve been, what we think. We relish control and the ability to make things happen, to rule. Yet in pursuit of our affection, the Lord often impedes our drive to prove His majesty.
When we’re too full of our good self we have no room for better and best. Unless we humbly acknowledge our inability, we cannot see God’s ability. Unless we drop our reins, we cannot be directed by His. Unless we relinquish our certain ideas of success, we’ll never know His. God will not bless our touching His glory. (Isaiah 42:8)
Where am I refusing to give up my importance? The way things need to be, what I’m willing to do, how I must structure my days, or years? How yielded am I to the will of God, and His way to wholeness? What hard situations in my life- doubts, detriments, diseases, disabilities, or disappointments- might the Lord in love have placed there to pursue my surrender? (Luke 22:42)
Lord, humble me to desire and submit to Your ways.
