DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father God, I come to you in all humility acknowledging there is no one like you, for you are the one true living God. Help me to love you more than anything else in the world and teach me your ways and as I come before your throne of grace and mercy, I confess and acknowledge I have sinned against you in thought and deed, today I ask to forgive me and, in your grace, purify my heart, cleanse me from all unrighteousness. 

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. And in your great love lead me and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy. I now receive your forgiveness and mercy in the name of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise:  Psalm 86:11-12

"Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.” 

Worship Song Sung or Said: What A Faithful God (Stuart Townend)

https://youtu.be/cVR6YB01nDk

Lord, I come before Your throne of grace

I find rest in Your presence,
And fullness of Joy

In worship and wonder

I behold Your face 

Singing what a faithful God have I.

What a faithful God have I,

What a faithful God

What a faithful God have I,

Faithful in every way

Lord of mercy, You have heard my cry

Through the storm You’re the beacon
My song in the night

In the shelter of Your wings

Hear my hearts reply 

Singing what a faithful God have I.

What a faithful God have I, What a faithful God 

What a faithful God have I, Faithful in every way

Lord all sovereign

Granting peace from heaven
Let me comfort those who suffer

With the comfort You have given
I will tell of Your great love

For as long as I live
Singing what a faithful God have I.

God’s Word for Today: 2 Kings 5:1-15 

"1  Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram.” He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram.” He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.” 2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.” 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”” 4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.” 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied.” “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.” 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”” 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he 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? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” 
8 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.”” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.” 10 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.”” 11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “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.” 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.” 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “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’!” 14 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.” 15 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.” So please accept a gift from your servant.”” 

Devotional/Study:

This is a story comes at a very troubled time in the history of God’s people. It’s at a time when the Tribes of Israel had been divided into two main groups. The children of Abraham were a divided kingdom—with the people in the south being called the kingdom of Judah, and the people in the north being referred to as the Tribes of Israel. The southern kingdom of Judah had remained relatively faithful to the God of Israel; but not perfectly so. It had some kings who were godly; but it also had some kings along the way who were ungodly. 

The northern kingdom of Israel, however, did not remain faithful to God at all. And throughout its history, it had nothing but ungodly kings who led their people into idolatry and sin. The story of 2 Kings 5 has, as its context, the events of the ungodly northern kingdom. And yet, God did not leave Himself without a witness to the ungodly northern kingdom. One of the remarkable things about the northern kingdom of Israel during this particular time was that God had given it the ministry of two outstanding prophets of God—in fact, two of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament era. 

One was Elijah; and the other was his successor, Elisha. By this point of the story, Elijah had already been taken up to heaven to God; and the ‘mantel’ of his ministry had already fallen upon his young successor Elisha. There are many other people who show up in the story of this chapter. But the main star of the story—the person who is being led on a journey of faith toward God—was a man named Naaman. He was a man from the neighbouring nation of Syria.

The story of the healing of Naaman This morning, I’d like to share with you from a passage in the Old Testament 2 Kings 5 that teaches us an important lesson about how God uses people to draw people into a relationship with Himself.

This story begins with a man named Naaman. Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram and from a nation where people did not believe in or follow the one true God. Aram was a country North East of Israel in the land which would later be called Syria. Aram was Israel's neighbour but they were not on friendly terms. According to our reading Naaman was a great man in the sight of his master. He was the commander who had been victorious over the enemies of the nation of Aram. 

Naaman was a man who had authority, power, position, prestige. He was successful, wealthy and was respected. However, at some stage he receives terrible news that he was afflicted by some form of a leprosy v1. He had a disease that would eventually sap away his strength and his health, and that would destroy his outward appearance and eventually take his life. Naaman must have despaired as he longed for a cure to restore his health. He probably tried everything to find healing. 

It seemed like there was no hope. The whole world had let him down. It seemed that Naaman's future was going to be one of loneliness and isolation. However, something happened in his life that gave him a glimmer of hope. This hope came through a young girl who had actually been taken captive in one of Naaman raids of Israel and had become a servant girl in Naaman house. v2 

They had taken her from her family – Her people – her nation and made a slave in a strange land. So how did God use this little girl to direct Naaman to one and true living God? It all began like this: One day the girl said to her mistress in v3 "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 

What a remarkable young girl this must have been. She had been captured and taken from her people, taken from her family and made a slave of a foreign master. 

And yet through this storm, she remained faithful to God. She didn’t have any resentment or bitterness towards Naaman. What she had was a heart of forgiveness. 

She was not intimidated by Naaman's power, position, or prestige. What she saw was his pain and need for healing She saw someone without hope needing hope. The amazing thing is God used this servant girl to be the first link in the chain of events which was going to show Naaman who was the one true living God. 

This amazing little girl directs Naaman to the most significant being of the universe, the God of Israel, the only one true God who could heal Naaman. What made Naaman listen to this slave girl?  I suggest that he listened to her because there was something different about her. Perhaps it was her attitude and lifestyle, maybe her faith in the one God of Israel. Perhaps he saw her spirituality and her relationship with the God of Israel.  

Perhaps her lifestyle had been such a testimony that it gave credibility to her words. It raises a question for us. Does our lifestyle reflect Gods presence in our lives?  God used this little girl in a very simple way—to turn Naaman’s focus to God in the midst of his need. I believe that God wants to use each one of you to help someone find the God. He doesn’t want you see their colour, their race, He want you see their heart and need. 

The example of this girl teaches us that God can use a wise word from us at just the right time to the right person to turn someone’s attention to God. In response to her advice he went to the King of Aram to get permission to go and consult with the Prophet. 

So the King of Aram wrote a letter to the King of Israel asking him to heal Naaman. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” How did the king respond to this letter? We are told, As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he 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? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!

The king should have immediately called upon Elisha prophet of God, but instead he panicked He was furious and scared because he thinks it’s a trick. He thought the King of Aram was trying to provoke a war. Elisha knew that the King of Israel had forgotten that there was a prophet in Israel. Then at some stage a message came to the King of Israel from Elisha "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me that he may learn there is a prophet in Israel.” 

So Naaman sets off to find the Elisha the Prophet, with all his horses and chariots. In the Bible, horses and chariots are usually symbols of power and authority. 

Naaman and his men are waiting outside of Elisha's house. Their expectations are high, and they very excited. Probably thinking what will the prophet do? What will he say? How will heal Naaman? But Elisha does not even come out of his house to see him.  Instead he sends a servant with this message "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” v10

Naaman is furious and said in v11, "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.” Naaman was probably used to getting his way and having people treat him with great honour. From this vs there seems to be a sense of pride and arrogance in his heart. You can imagine Naaman thinking, “here am I, a top commander, and yet this prophet does not even bother to come out to meet me and sends a message and tells me to go and wash myself seven times in that dirty river. Something we can learn from here is that God doesn’t always act in the ways we think He should. 

He doesn’t answer prayers according to how we want him to answer prayers. Sometimes he answers in ways that are beyond anything we would have imagined. Because of his pride and arrogance Naaman turned his back on opportunity to be healed. However, Naaman's servants persuaded him to at least try the solution offered to him by the prophet of God. So Naaman after been persuaded, 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.” v14

Can you imagine how happy Naaman was, for not only was his leprosy gone; but his skin is also restored as if he’s a young boy! In response to this amazing healing Naaman goes back to Elisha and says something amazing. "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.” v15

At the beginning of his journey for healing Naaman was not looking for God he was looking for a cure for his leprosy. However, through this amazing healing, there was a major change in Naaman’s belief. He moved away from the worship of many gods to worship the one true living God. Brothers and sisters, we should always remember that we aren’t just ordinary people. We are God’s redeemed people; and He has great purpose for each one of you.

God can and will use you in simple ways to lead and guide people to the one true living God, father son and Holy Spirit. The apostle peter reminds us 1 Peter 3:15: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” 

Personal Prayers: