2 Kings 5:1-15
Our text passage is an interesting and enlightening one.
It is from the story of Naaman the Syrian commander and Elijah the Israeli prophet of God.
Naaman was a great man who received his miracle through God's prophet- Elisha.
Namaan served the king of Aram (which is part of modern day Syria) faithfully, he seemed a good man at heart going by what is gleaned from Biblical accounts but He didn't know or serve the true God.
He also had leprosy.
God in His mercy to Namaan connected Naaman to a true prophet of His, a prophet who had the instruction for Namaan's creative miracle. This connection came about through an unlikely vessel.
Namaan journeyed from Aram (Syria) to Samaria (a central region of the land of Israel) where the prophet Elisha was with the hope of finding his cure, hoping for a miracle.
To receive our miracle we sometimes need to journey to where it can happen for us.
It may involve a physical movement but it will definitely involve a spiritual movement- the use of our faith!
This journey to our miracle may be to get to an atmosphere where our faith comes alive, a place where there is the presence of God, a location where God's word is taught, or where we come in contact with a true oracle of God.
Faith makes us take steps, faith makes us move, it makes us take a journey most times, Namaan's journey to Israel for a miracle cure was an act of faith!
An unlikely vessel is a person, people, or place that no one thought would make it, that people have despised, rejected, an under dog, but turns out great beyond people's expectations due to God's mercy.
The journey to Elisha's miracle and cure started through an unlikely vessel- a young captive girl in Namaan's house.
She is the link to Namaan's needed miracle cure.
She had the information Namaan needed to act on to receive his miracle.
She was serving as a maid to Namaan's wife, she was a girl Namaan showed mercy to when his nation raided the nation of Israel.
Instead of killing her, he employed her, he allowed her to serve in his house as a maid to his wife.
If Namaan had despised that girl's suggestion he would have missed his miracle.
God's answer to your prayers can come through people or a person you least expect.
Don't despise anyone.
If Naaman had killed that girl when her nation was raided he would have aborted his miracle and died leprous.
Fortunately for him he didn't.
We should learn to show mercy.
Those we have mercy on today can turn out to be blessings to us tomorrow.
Namaan showed mercy and mercy came back to him.
Matthew 5:7
Namaan showed mercy to an unlikely vessel and he also listened to her suggestion and followed through with it, this suggests that Namaan was humble.
Do you need a miracle?
Be humble.
God gives grace to the humble.
James 4:6
Another unlikely vessel in the Namaan story is the river Jordan.
Namaan almost missed his miracles because he didn't want to dip in the river Jordan as instructed by Elisha.
He rated the rivers in his country better than the river Jordan, perhaps they were cleaner or better looking, but the river Jordan was where his miracle was chosen to happen.
Sometimes we have to put our human perspective and reasoning aside to receive our miracle.
1 Kings 5:11,12
Olutosin Ogunkolade a Teacher-Pastor and spiritual blogger shares this teaching message
Comments
Post a Comment