And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now, therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” –
2 Kings 5:15
Naaman went to Israel looking for healing and found God. He went looking for a prophet and found the God who was using the prophet. The Holy Spirit used Naaman’s healing to draw him to the Lord.2 Kings 5:15
After Naaman’s healing, he returned to the man of God. The same Syrian who was infuriated with Elisha’s instructions went back to him in appreciation. Naaman did not immediately return to Syria after his healing; he returned to the home of the prophet God had used to guide him to his recovery. Some who get blessed by the Lord become so excited with what the Lord has done and just run off to tell everybody about their miracle.
In the process, they forget the Lord who gave them what they were looking for. When the Lord blesses us, we must first of all thank Him and show our gratitude before we go around telling the whole world about all the good things that have happened to us.
It is noteworthy that this time, Naaman met Elisha. Consider Naaman’s words when they met, ‘Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel’. He saw his healing as an act of God and not of the prophet. Many times, when God uses people to touch us with His power, we fail to see Him as the one who touched us. We only see the man of God and not the God of the man. Naaman got it right; he acknowledged God as his healer. He knew the true source of the miracle he had just received.
Naaman also discovered the God who had healed him as the One True God. He worshipped the Lord as the only God worthy of worship. In Syria, he had worshipped the gods of the land. Now, he encountered the One God who is greater than what he had worshipped all his life. Naaman’s new-found faith in the Lord had severe implications for how he would live his life back in Syria. As a high-ranking government official, Naaman was expected to follow the religious tradition of his land, but he determined to follow through with his worship of the Lord.
In Naaman, we see the journey of a great general which started with the suggestion of a maid, ending in a life-changing experience with God. He was frustrated along the line; but he humbly heeded to good counsel and got back on track.
May the Lord help each one of us to discover Him in all of our life’s pursuits.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I acknowledge You as the Lord Most High. May all of my pursuits in life lead me to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!Scripture Reading:
2 Kings 5:1-19
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