Christian Living

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Is it Really That Simple?

The Lord is calling us to a higher place in Him. He is trying and testing us So that we become the Army of the Lord (Joel 2). At times His will appears to be conflicting and walking with Him complicated. But the Lord says: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy, and My load is light” (Mt 11:28-30.


One story in the Bible illustrates just how simple it is and how we are unwilling to accept that. This is the story of Naaman the leper. “NOW Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper” (2 Ki 5:1). This man was respected by God even though he was a captain with Israel’s enemy Aram. He was a valiant man but he was afflicted with leprosy


Now the Arameans had gone out to war and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” Then the king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” And he departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten changes of clothes. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, “And now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” When the King read the letter he was in distress because he could not cure the leprosy “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? He thought the King of Aram was seeking a quarrel with him.


When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Now let Naaman come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. Naaman expected Elisha come out to him, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leprosy. But Elisha had a different idea. Without Elisha confronting he sent a messenger to Naaman saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you and you shall be clean.” The Jordan was known as a muddy, dirty River.


But Naaman was furious and went away and said,’ “Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean (full story 2 Kings 5:2-14).


Are we not the same as Naaman? God asks a simple thing of us and we hesitate thinking such things as “this is beneath me” or “this is not the way it should be done”. It is like asking the Lord to become a great prophet in the land and the Lord says “OK clean those toilets”. You expected a different answer. “No way am I going to clean those toilets, it is beneath me”. Then as you think about it you realize that if the Lord had asked a difficult thing you would have done it. This a simple thing no matter how unappealing it is.


Washing in the dirty water of the Jordan River was unappealing to Naaman and at first he didn't want to do it. But this was the way God choose to heal the great warrior. We should be ready to do whatever God asks of us no matter how unappealing. This is often the way of the Lord.

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