Bible Soundbites
Monday, 21 April 2008 00:00 | and posted in Naaman
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded… 2 Kings 5:1
Naaman seems to have been quite a guy. He was well respected and trusted by his superiors, and much loved both by the people he fought with and by his servants. A good reputation is worth a lot in life, though it can be hard work building it. Are you the kind of person others know they can depend on, trust, and maybe even follow?
Tuesday, 22 April 2008 00:00 | and posted in Naaman
Naaman was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1
Despite Naaman’s great reputation his life was blighted by leprosy, a serious skin disease. I wonder how many times he thought, “if only…?” Such trials can make us bitter and self-pitying, but in fact Naaman’s great problem was what led him to God. What are the trials in your life just now? Are they actually opportunities to meet the living God?
Wednesday, 23 April 2008 00:00 | and posted in Naaman
She said to her mistress, “If only my master [Naaman] would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 2 Kings 5:3-4
Naaman acted on his wife’s slave girl’s advice even though she was an unlikely counselor for such a great man. In fact, this slave girl had probably been captured by Naaman and his army on a raid into Israel. Yet, such was her respect for Naaman that she desired him to be made well.
Are you failing to hear his voice today because it’s coming from an unexpected mouth?
Thursday, 24 April 2008 00:00 | and posted in Naaman
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.” 2 Kings 5:11
Naaman visits Elisha, the prophet of Israel, but is angry at the lack of respect given to him and the simplicity of the task asked of him. He wants fireworks, earthquakes, perhaps even choirs of angels!
Maybe God isn’t being dramatic enough for you at the moment either. But don’t hold back just because what he is asking of you is something simple. That is often the first step to greater things.
Friday, 25 April 2008 00:00 | and posted in Naaman
So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored. 2 Kings 5:14
“If God had told you to do something great you’d have done it…” was the advice Naaman received from his servants. Amazingly, Naaman again humbled himself and listened to his servants and he did what God had asked of him. Faith is both that simple, and that challenging. God’s people in every age have discovered that when we do what God is asking of us today his promises become our reality tomorrow.
Saturday, 26 April 2008 00:00 | and posted in Naaman
Naaman declared, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” 2 Kings 5:15
Naaman’s obedience led him to a discovery of the reality of God. If we don’t actually do what God says he will always seem distant and unreal to us. However, if we choose to obey what God asks of us, we give him permission to bring healing and transformation into our lives.
Sunday, 27 April 2008 00:00 | and posted in Naaman
Naaman declared, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” 2 Kings 5:17
Naaman’s experience leads him to a decision. However, this commitment to worship God and God alone will not be an easy one considering his master worships Rimmon as do the majority (if not all) of his nation’s people.
I imagine it was repeatedly remembering God’s healing that would cause worship to well up in Naaman’s heart even when things were tough.