. . . “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’!”
2 Kings 5.9-13
Many of us know the story of Naaman. He was someone that was greatly esteemed, brave and highly regarded, yet he had a problem. He carried leprosy. The bible says that he carried leprosy, however, do you know the name of the biggest disease that he carried inside of him? The disease that was truly eating him from the inside out? PRIDE.
This man was dying and when he heard that there was a solution, he went to Samaria. He went yet when he realized he would have to go to the Jordan River to be healed, he left angry. He was waiting for the Prophet to come out, do a prayer, and cure him. He also complained about the river that he would have to go. In other words, he believed God could bless him, yet he wanted the answer, the blessing HIS way.
When Naaman made the decision to surrender himself, and submurged in the Jordan River, he was healed. Now, didn't God have the power to heal him when he arrived to the Prophet's house? Couldn't He have just cured him just by coming to the Prohet's house. Yes. But look at what Naaman said, once he returned to the Prophet's house:
. . . Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.
Why did he say "Now"? Because Naaman had a doubt. God could have instantly healed him, yet he wanted to save him from his pride. And the only way that could happen was by taking Naaman to one of the dirtiest waters, where God would break down his pride.
There are times where God allows us to pass through situations, humiliations, because He is waiting for us to submit to Him. Even the though He has the power to heal or bless us instantly, He does not. That way, when He acts in our life, we will say the same as Naaman, that there is no other God. That it was only by His hand, that we received the miracle. Not by our merit. Not by our knowledge, but by His hand.
It was not a coincidence that Naaman had leprosy and pride at the same time. Leprosy and pride have everything in common. When we have pride in our heart, it begins to spread. It spreads to our eyes, our ears, our mouth, our attitude, etc. It begins to rot us from the inside out and the person begins to carry a terrible odor. When a person has an odor, how do the people react around this person? Nobody wants to be around them. They try to avoid them if possible. Yes or no? And if this sickness is not removed the person dies.
For those of us who are seeking to receive the Holy Spirit, we need to examine ourselves to see if we carry this leprosy in our heart. Because when we are prideful, we become selfish and arrogant; useless in God's hands. If we carry this pride, could we truly submit to the Holy Spirit and His direction? If you examine yourself and find that there has been pride, that you have been carrying this odor, let us do the same. Let us submit to God and submurge ourselves in the rivers, so we can be cleansed.
Until tomorrow, and God Bless!
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