Sometimes God can do nothing until our thinking changes! Romans 12:2, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
We’ve been looking at the encounter between Naaman and Elisha the prophet. It’s probable that this was a ONE TIME TRIP and Naaman was only going to have this one opportunity to meet with the God of Israel. Sometimes the change can be sudden and dramatic, e.g. Paul on the road to Damascus. Naaman experienced a major Turnaround;
A Turnaround – an abrupt or unexpected change, especially one that results in a more favourable situation.
“it was a remarkable turnaround in his fortunes”
God apprehended Naaman, by giving him a stark choice; obey and be healed or refuse and succumb to the leprosy. God may put many of us in similar situations, for our own good. Naaman was initially outraged but his servants calmed him down, ‘wash and be cleansed’. 2 Kings 5:13 Naaman followed Elisha’s instructions and received a miracle, but he also had a ‘Turnaround’ in his thinking and his life.
“Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel”. 2 Kings 5:15
In Naaman’s day and also in our own time people worship many things, so this was a profound change of thinking. He also returned to Elisha in humility, no longer in arrogance. He pressed Elisha to accept a gift but the prophet wouldn’t because God had forbidden him. Even well meaning people can suggest things that are not right for us before God, we need to be careful.
Naaman asked for earth from the land of Israel to take home; ‘for your servant will never again (lasting change) make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord’. Naaman’s whole perspective had changed and he declared from now on he would only worship the Lord. It seems he had an intuitive understanding of what God required and the Israelites so often turned away from.
His final request before Elisha was that God would forgive him when he had to accompany his master to the temple of his god Rimmon and bow with him. 2 Kings 5:18 This request showed his sincerity to Yahweh; he didn’t want God to misunderstand how truly he was now devoted to Him alone. Elisha told him to, ‘Go in Peace’, God’s blessing. God was willing to forgive him for something he was obligated to do, but not by choice. There may be people today who are in similar situations, but God knows our hearts.
Naaman had to change his whole outlook before God, Elisha wouldn’t even come out to meet with him until he’d done that! Is God waiting for us to change our outlook, to take a Turnaround before He can bless us today? Only each one of us can really know, but God won’t bargain, we must obey and go His way. It’s the perfect way for us.
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“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38
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