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Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, ‘Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.’ He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.’ But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.’ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’ So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:1-14)
The Lord used many voices to get one man made whole. The man was a successful military man, general in rank, and beloved by his king. He had a defect, he suffered from a dreaded skin disease, leprosy. Through the voice of a POW, a little girl whose name we do not know, told her mistress about a man back in Samaria who could cure his leprosy. So, the man heard from his wife, who had heard this from their slave girl. Naaman was the name of this man and he goes and tell his king, who orders a letter of introduction written to the king of Israel, and to sweeten the pot adds silver, gold, and clothing. The king of Israel does not receive the letter well; he tears the clothing in despair thinking this could be the beginning of war. But the prophet heard about the letter and sends word to the king that he would take care of this general. And so here comes this entourage of horses, chariots and foot soldiers to this prophet's house. The messenger for the general knocks on the door of the house, and Elisha's servant goes and tells the messenger to tell his general to go and wash seven times in the Jordan River. The general expected that the very least the prophet could do was show some common courtesy and come and greet him, but he didn't. He expected the prophet to come and pray over him, waving a hand over the leprous spot and that would be it. And seeing the Jordan and its dirty waters wondered why this river when back home we have beautiful rivers? Then the general hears from his soldiers, "Father, if the prophet had asked something difficult of you, you would have gladly done it; why can't you just go into the river and do as the prophet said?"
We can only imagine getting into the river, finding the spot where he could immerse himself and then begins his path to obedience and healing. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. And you know he kept watching that spot, seven. And now his skin was like that of a baby. Healed. Whole.
At any point of that journey, the general could have gotten more frustrated and could have reached the point where he would have said, "I've had/done enough. I give up! I will just to to M.D. Anderson in Houston and they will cure me." But it was the encouragement of voices from others that helped him keep going until that request before God was met. You and I have traveled the same road, and many have been the times we think giving up is the best solution, but God knows different and God sometimes uses the voices of others to get us where we need to be.
PRAYER: GOD, speak to our need and use other voices if necessary, and help us listen. Help us reach the point where You would have us be. We pray in faith in the name of Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
