2Ki 5:12 “Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of
Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be
clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”
Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Syria, but
he was a leper who wanted to be healed of his leprosy. Naaman heard about the
prophet Elisha and was told that Elisha would cleanse his leprosy.
Imagine yourself in this situation. You’ve had a crippling
disease for your entire life. You’ve finally arrived at the place where you
know you can find healing! And what happens next? The prophet is a no-show! The
person standing before you: the messenger of Elisha who only offers
instructions.
“Go and wash in the
Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
(vs 10)
Naaman is angry! The Jordan is a dirty river; the waters of
his own home are much cleaner. If all Naaman wanted was to be clean, he could
have just as easily stayed home and bathed. In a rage, Naaman starts to turn away,
unwilling to heed the words of the messenger.
Naaman had certain expectations of how his story was going
to begin, continue, and end.
But, often God’s purpose is brought about by a process quite
different than what man expects.
I must be careful not to reject God’s process just because I
don’t understand His purpose.
The instructions like Naaman got may appear to be a dirtier
process. They may require me to be patient, humble or broken, that’s fine I won’t
waver from my faith knowing He’s my healer.
God has a purpose for my pain, process for my struggle and a
blessing for my faithfulness.
While I may not understand His purpose today, through my
faithfulness my spirit will see clearly tomorrow.
Often God will put a problem in my path for me to see the
purpose of His power for my life.
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