‘How Much More’, what might it mean for us today?
In a recent blog we quoted the phrase ‘How Much More’;
11 ‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’ Luke 11
God, who is absolutely good, will never give us anything bad when we come to Him, but He may require us to Humble ourselves and change!
What did God’s ‘How Much More’ mean for Naaman the army commander from Aram? He arrived at Elisha’s house with his attendants, bearing valuable gifts for the prophet’s healing services. Everything seemed to be fine, except Elisha didn’t think it worth while to go out and meet Naaman. Instead he sent his servant with a message;
10 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.’ 2 Kings 5
Naaman was an important man in his own country and he was not used to dealing with someone’s servant. It touched something deep in him and he left in a rage;
11 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. 12 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. 2 Kings 5
Naaman didn’t see Elisha at their first encounter and usually we don’t see the Lord, we’re also just told what He wants us to do. Naaman may not have been aware of his anger, common in soldiers perhaps, but God gave him a challenge, HUMBLE YOURSELF and be clean. Naaman’s servants pleaded with him to do what the prophet said and when he did he was healed.
13 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”!’ 14 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
Naaman went back to Elisha a different man, God had Humbled and Healed his outer and inner Flesh (his heart). Does God want to bless us today but there’s something in our hearts that He wants to touch as well? Naaman had to submit to God’s ‘How Much More’ and was greatly blessed. Allow God to work in us as He wants, our trials will in the end bring forth good fruit.
God bless and keep you today.