Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
MTVEA: Do the Work of an Evangelist
2 King 5: 1-5“If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Vs 3
Throughout the Bible, we see that God is doing improbable things through ordinary people, so His purposes are achieved, and He gets the glory ultimately. The best example is the twelve disciples, who did amazing and extraordinary things to spread the mission of the Lord to the ends of the world. Same way, there are several less known women in the Bible, who did extraordinary things for the glory of God. The slave girl in the story of Naaman is a typical example of an ordinary slave girl, doing extraordinary things, which resulted in the transformation of the great and successful Naaman.
Naaman was the chief military commander of the King of Syria, who was a persistent fear to both Israel and Judah. His position and success made him a great and honorable man, and personally he was a mighty man of valor. But Naaman was a leper, which meant that he had a horrible, incurable disease that would slowly result in his death.
Naaman, brought as captive an ordinary young girl from Israel. This girl was an unwilling missionary, taken captive from Israel and now in Syria in the household of Naaman. Yet God allowed the tragedy of her captivity to accomplish a greater good. The young girl illustrates the mysterious ways God works. She was probably raised in a godly home yet taken from her family at a young age. It was an irreplaceable loss for her parents, for which, no doubt they grieved over every day. Yet, she was greatly used in a simple way for the glory of God.
This young girl was an outstanding example of a faithful witness in her current circumstance. She cared enough to speak up, and she had faith enough to believe that Elisha would heal Naaman of his leprosy. Spurgeon, the historian, wrote that Naaman had two enemies: Pride, which initially demanded that Elisha come out and see him, and Evil, which questioned why he should wash in the Jordan when he had better rivers back in his homeland. Naaman overcame these two enemies and did what God told him to do.
The main source for revealing God’s glory is the Israelite slave girl. Taken captive and nameless, less known in the Bible, her role is pivotal and breaking out of the silence of slavery. It is her courage to speak out that began Naaman’s healing through Elisha. Though a captive slave, she is the one who instructs Naaman to the healing power of the Lord, the God of Israel. She is the initiator of hope for Naaman. It is upon her word that Naaman approached the king of Aram with a request for his own healing.
The miracles of Jesus were intended only for the lost sheep of Israel, one, like a crumb, fell from the table to a woman of Canaan; so also in this miracle, Elisha brought for Naaman, a Syrian, healing for others; for God does good to all, and wanted all men to be saved. A slave girl of Israel, proclaimed that God can heal her master, which led to the evangelization of Naaman, the Syrian. God wants all of us to be His missionaries wherever we are planted.
Naaman learns how he might be healed from a humble source, a young Israelite girl, a powerless slave. To his credit, he values the word of the servant girl passed on through his wife and he humbles before the prophet. He surrenders his pride and ego at the door step of prophet Elisha’s house, at a time even when the prophet refused to come out. When we humble ourselves before God, He does marvelous things in our lives.
As faithful believers, we need to submit ourselves before God with humbleness and seek God’s guidance in all our life situations, whether it is in sickness, financial struggles, worries about future, future of our children. God is powerful and omnipotent to listen to our prayers, heal us, comfort us and He will hold us in His palms. He will not lead us into any situations, which we cannot face and overcome. He will also provide us with the ways and means to overcome our trials and tribulations. May the name of the Lord be glorified through our life and deeds.
Pride, selfishness, and evil questioning leads to great tragedy while humbling before the Lord brings success.
Lal Varghese, Esq.
MTC Farmers Branch, Dallas TX