•Thursday, March 01, 2012
"But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: ‘Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.’
“But Naaman became angry and stalked away. ‘I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!’ he said. ‘I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!’" II Kings 5:10-11 (NLT)
To quote from The Tale of Despereaux: “No one is born afraid.” Life’s lessons often leave scars. Sometimes they run deep, so deep that we don’t realize they are the root of anger, bitterness, or anxiety in our lives.
Once we realize we have healing that requires God’s work, I’m afraid most of us are a lot like Naaman. We want the healing to be an instantaneous and miraculous event, the way that Jesus healed the blind and lame in the Bible. It would be so much easier on our pride and spare us so much work.
Now, there may be times when healing comes swift and sure, but most of the time God expects us to participate with him in the process. He wants us to learn about him as we learn about ourselves through the journey toward healing.
If we truly desire to be restored, we need to do more than ask for it. We must be willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve it. Even at the risk of our pride. That means admitting our weaknesses and flaws; seeking counseling, if necessary; reading books that will guide our progress; spending intentional time in prayer and listening for God’s voice; and working with God through the process.
How tragic it would be if Naaman had continued to be separated from his family by leprosy when all he needed to do was walk down to the river and wash.
“But Naaman became angry and stalked away. ‘I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!’ he said. ‘I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!’" II Kings 5:10-11 (NLT)
To quote from The Tale of Despereaux: “No one is born afraid.” Life’s lessons often leave scars. Sometimes they run deep, so deep that we don’t realize they are the root of anger, bitterness, or anxiety in our lives.
Once we realize we have healing that requires God’s work, I’m afraid most of us are a lot like Naaman. We want the healing to be an instantaneous and miraculous event, the way that Jesus healed the blind and lame in the Bible. It would be so much easier on our pride and spare us so much work.
Now, there may be times when healing comes swift and sure, but most of the time God expects us to participate with him in the process. He wants us to learn about him as we learn about ourselves through the journey toward healing.
If we truly desire to be restored, we need to do more than ask for it. We must be willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve it. Even at the risk of our pride. That means admitting our weaknesses and flaws; seeking counseling, if necessary; reading books that will guide our progress; spending intentional time in prayer and listening for God’s voice; and working with God through the process.
How tragic it would be if Naaman had continued to be separated from his family by leprosy when all he needed to do was walk down to the river and wash.
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1 comments:
Hey Rebekah and fam! Its Amber. I made a new blog its called My Life Unmasked... its is about God Unmasking me from the lies in which I hold and believed and its is about my everyday journey. Check it out and follow me! :)