Simple Healing

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "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'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. (2 Kings 5:9-14 NIV)

I love this story about Naaman. In a nutshell, Naaman (a non-Jew) had some kind of skin disease and sent a servent to Elisha (whom he had heard was a great prophet) to see if Elisha would heal him. Elisha said "Fine. Tell your master to wash in the Jordan and he will be healed."

Now the Jordan was a small, dirty little river that all the "common" people used and a great man like Naaman thought he was above all that. Besides, it was way too easy. Shouldn't his healing be difficult and maybe even expensive? Shouldn't there be drama? Shouldn't there be sacrifice? Naaman was angry that this Jewish prophet should take his affliction so lightly. But Naaman's servant convinced him to at least try it, since it was so easy, and of course... it worked.

Sometimes we pray for answers for our afflictions and we get immediate and simple answers, but we don't hear because we really can't believe that our BIG problem can be solved so simply. Don't we need thousands of dollars of therapy? Don't we need expensive pills and maybe surgery? Don't we need the sky to light up with a huge miracle made just for us?

Sometimes the answer is too simple for us to see. Or maybe we don't want a simple answer. We want to think our problem is deeper... more profound than it is for other people with the same problem.

The first step is to pray about your problems and afflictions. Don't just say you've prayed about it. Really do it. Set some special time aside to pray just about your problem. Then, make sure a lot of that time you set aside for prayer is for listening. Don't skip this step! You wouldn't go to a doctor, tell him all your symptoms and then get up and leave before the doctor diagnoses or treats you, would you? Give God time to speak. Also, leave your heart open to those things you might not want to hear. Is God sending you in a whole new direction in your life? Is he saying that your healing is as simple as giving up something you don't really want to give up? Maybe God just wants you to let go of your pride.

The answer might very well be difficult... that's often how we grow. But it might also be as simple as washing in the Jordan. We won't know unless we take time to listen to God with open hearts.

Father,
Help us to listen. Help us to be willing to do whatever it takes to be healed, even if it humbles us. Amen.

Joys: teaching Cecelia how to jump rope; an interview for Kevin today; Tracy's excitement over wedding plans