2 Kings 5:10-14 (AMP)Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.11But Naaman was angry and went away and said, Behold, I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal the leper.12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.13And his servants came near and said to him, My father, if the prophet had bid you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, Wash and be clean? 14Then he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, as the man of God had said, and his flesh was restored like that of a little child, and he was clean.
Naaman was a mighty commander of the Syrian army who was leprous. He was told by a little girl that a prophet from Samaria would take his leprous away
(2 Kings 5:1-9).
How many people even today are looking for healing, breakthrough, or restoration through some gigantic or grandeur event or words? Elisha told Naaman to go dip himself in the Jordan river seven times. But Naaman was angry and said that he thought "he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and heal the leper." He was even more angry because if he had to perform such an embarrassing act at least it could have been in more of an "upscale river"?
I do not know the exact reason why Naaman thought of the Jordan river. Perhaps, the river was used and bathed by lay people or peasants. Perhaps, Abana and Pharpar rivers were where the "upscale people" bathed? Perhaps, the Jordan river was a bit dirty?
For whatever the reason for Naaman not desiring to use the Jordan river, it still required his humility if he wanted to be healed and cleansed. Not only was his humility required but he had to look a bit foolish and dip himself seven times. What if he had only dipped himself six times because after dipping himself six times he said to himself, "This is ludicrous and embarrassing!!" He would have missed his healing.
How are His people today seeking God's answer for healing, breakthrough, or restoration? Is your spirit sensitive enough to hear God's small voice or our hearts to hardened to listen to anything that may sound foolish? Perhaps God has been speaking to many but not in the method most expect? And even if some of us did follow simple strange directions, would we complete the prerequisite such as dipping ourselves seven times or would we stop at six because we would think what we were doing in front of men to be too embarrassing?
God has told my wife and I some time ago that many of His people miss their blessing or breakthrough right at the end. They would give up before completion of their season, trials, or tests. They would not only give up but they would become angry and quit.
We must seek God with no second option. HE is the first and second option. We must seek God going for broke. Do not hold back when it comes to seeking Him. Do not concern yourself of what others may think of you when you cry out seeking HIM. The road to His Glory requires your humility.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29(AMP) [No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.28 And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, 29 So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God.
Fire of God
Steve Yong Kim
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