Washing of Faith

Life always seems to be full of what we call “Crazy unexpected events.” Events that come about in such a different way than we planned and or expected. It is always surprising and even at times humbling when it happens that way.

A man named Naaman also had a humbling event take place in his life as well, and it’s something we can learn from. Things happened for him in a way he did not expect and maybe even thought was wrong based on who he was and what he thought- at least at first. The story of Naaman takes place in 11 Kings 5: 1-14.

Naaman was a captain in the army, highly respected and considered a great man. He was a man who had achieved victory in wars and people regarded him as a valiant warrior. Naaman though had leprosy and of course wanted to be healed from it. His wife happens to have a servant girl who told her that she wished Naaman could go to Samaria and see the prophet, because he would be able to cure Naaman. When Naaman heard this, he received permission from the King and set off with gifts in hand for the prophet who he hoped would cure him.

When He arrives the King of Israel was upset and said “Am I God, can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me and to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me? 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.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 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.”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. 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.  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’!” 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.

Some may view this story only as humility, however, do not overlook the faith it took to do this. Naaman left this town believing that by going to the prophet he was going to be healed- by the prophet himself. When he arrived though he was not greeted by the prophet but rather by the prophet's messenger. Then he was told to go and wash in a dirty river. This was not how he imagined he was going to be healed. Here Naaman is a valiant warrior, a captain of the army, well respected and known throughout the community. He expects that the prophet would as he said just wave his hand around and he would be healed. Things were not working how he had thought- and that is the key! His servants had to talk some sense into him, and he had to have faith not only in what his servants were telling him but also in what the messenger had told him to do. He had not even met Elisha and yet he had to have faith that Elisha was telling him the right thing to do, even though it didn't make sense to him. Naaman had to forget his thinking, what he thought should have been done, and walk-in humility and faith, and because he did he was able to receive the blessing of finding out who God was. After he was healed he said that God was the true God of Israel and that is the greatest part of this story. Naaman was healed on the outside, but his heart was exposed to the truth and he saw it and accepted it.

God will work for us in strange, crazy, and miraculous ways if we allow Him to be God and do it how He wants. We think we know best how God should work on our behalf, yet it is not up to us. Most of the time it is our 'Thinking’ that blocks what God wants to do in our lives. If we would let go of our ‘Thinking’ and allow God to do His work the way He wants too we would receive a blessing and so would those around us!

From Gardens of Splendor by Gina Burns