Do you ever wonder sometimes at some of the things that God asks of people in the Bible? I sometimes wonder what the purpose is to some of the things He asks them to do. Naaman was told to do something that really makes no sense to us. He had come down with leprosy. In the Bible leprosy is a picture of sin. The little maiden had told of a man of God back in Samaria that could help him. So with his Kings blessing and gifts and letter for the King of Israel Naaman left on his journey. He eventually ended up finding the prophet Elisha's servant who instructed him what to do.
2 Kings 5:10 "And Elisha sent a messenger unto him saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean."
Can you imagine what this great captain of the host of the King of Syria thought when Elisha himself didn't even bother to come in person and talk to him, but sent a messenger! And to add insult to injury, he was told to go to the muddy River of Jordan and wash seven times in it! Naaman was insulted and the Bible says he was wroth...and he left in a rage.
Do you find yourself insulted or enraged that God would ask you to do something that you feel is beneath you? I'm sure if you're honest you'll admit that there have been times when you thought it a waste of your time to do something for someone...you had something more important to do. How dare someone ask something so menial of me...don't they know who I am, how busy I am, how beneath me this task is? We're more like Naaman then we care to admit.
One of his servants finally said to him, that if the prophet had asked some great thing of him to do, he would have done it. So Naaman went down to the Jordan River. I can just picture him cringing as he was wading out into that water. Then counting to himself...one...nothing...two....still nothing... three... no change...four...the same...five...still a leper...six...still no change...seven...HEALED! Can you just imagine how he felt when he looked at his skin that seventh time and found that his flesh was like that of a little childs.
I know that there are many theological pictures in this story. But the one thing that stands out to me is that God asked him to do something that sounded strange to his reasoning...but he obeyed. God wanted his obedience. Isn't that the same thing that God wants us of today? Many times we don't understand why God is asking something of us, to our minds is just doesn't make sense...but it doesn't have to, God wants our obedience.
I always liken it to our children. When they are small, they don't understand why we ask them to do something, and we don't always explain ourselves, but we expect their obedience. We as their parents know what is best for them, we can see the bigger picture. It's the same with our Heavenly Father. He doesn't have to explain Himself to us, He knows what is best, He see's the bigger picture and He expects our obedience.
John chapter 2 tells us of the Wedding of Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle. They had run out of wine at the celebration. Jesus commanded that the waterpots be filled with water. I'm sure as those men were filling the six waterpots with water they were wondering why?...wouldn't you? When the governor had tasted the water...which had by a miracle been turned into wine, he questioned why the best wine had been saved for the end. A simple "unreasonable" action at the direction of the Lord had produced a miracle for the benefit of all. Obedience. God puts great stock in our obedience to Him.
1 Samuel 15:22 "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."
Jeremiah 7:23 "But this thing command I them saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."
Acts 5:29b "We ought to obey God rather than men."
How are you doing with this whole obedience thing? We expect it without question from our children, so why do we try to exempt ourselves from obeying what God asks of us. The path of true obedience is the path of greatest blessing. Don't deprive yourself of witnessing the power of God in your life because of disobedience.
Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.
Doing exactly what the Lord commands, doing it happily.
Action is the key, do it immediately, joy you will receive.
Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.
We want to live pure, we want to live clean, we want to do our best;
Sweetly submitting to authority, leaving to God the rest.
Walking in the light, keeping our attitude right, on the narrow way;
For if we believe the Word we receive, we always will obey.
O - B - E - D - I - E - N - C - E,
Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.
Mike & Ruth Greene
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