In the story Naaman has leprosy. He is sent to a prophet for healing. The prophet doesn't come out to greet him but rather sends his servant to instruct Naaman. The servant tells him to go bathe in the Jordan River 7 times and he will be healed.
Naaman is offended and mad. He expected the prophet to come out and wave his arms around and to call on God. Instead he sends a servant. Beth said that sometimes we don't like the medicine and sometimes we don't like the bottle it comes in. In this case the servant is the bottle that he's not liking because he wanted a big show from the prophet.
Naaman did not want to bathe in the Jordan River. He said there were much better waters from where he came. It seemed beneath him. Too simple. Beth wrote on the board - I want healing but this is NOT the way I want it. I refuse to heal like this. She told us to write down the next bullet point - Sometimes we refuse to do what healing requires. There is a root of rebellion there.
She then said to do what it takes. Sometimes we are the obstacle to our own healing. Self-importance blocks healing. The chosen get frozen.
Perhaps your healing requires too much repetition. A stronghold is a mental obsession. You need the reverse to break it. She said to get into the word. Memorize it. Your mind is healed by repetition of scriptures.
James 1:22-24
New Living Translation (NLT)
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
She said so many times we get stuck in the "I'm sorry" mode. She said we need to go from "I'm so glad I'm forgiven" to "I did not out-sin your ability to heal me" to "I am standing here white as snow".
Back to Naaman... He was mad that dipping in the Jordan River is what he was told to do to get his healing. He wanted a big show. The men with him urged him to do what the prophet said. So he eventually did. It says that he went down and dipped himself in the water.
I connect this with getting down on our knees and dipping ourselves in His healing waters by prayer, meditation, studying of His Word, and worship.
Naaman did this 7 times and he was healed. Each time we turn to God in the midst of our trials brings more healing until we are healed. Repetition.
He's not asking us to blaze through life (as my pastor says) on our own and have all the answers. He wants us to ask for help. He's waiting for us to ask for His guidance. He alone has the answer to our healing.
Yesterday my pastor's wife was talking about our big powerful God. He is BIG POWERFUL. She used an example about her own dad and how, when she was growing up, she thought he was big powerful. If she needed something fixed, he fixed it. If she was having trouble with math, he helped her. If she was having trouble with someone, he would help. And she said that that is how God wants us to look at Him. As a big powerful God that is right there and wiling to help us through everything. We don't have to do this on our own!
We have to be willing to lay down our pride, plans, and expectations. We have to get down and dip ourselves into His healing water. Beth says that men and women of true greatness go down to the healing waters.
14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!
She went on with the story of Naaman. He and his servants went back to thank the prophet and to give him a gift. The prophet refused. Naaman promised to only make sacrifices alone to God but Naaman asked one thing. That he be pardoned when the King goes into the temple to worship an idol and leans on Naaman for he then would have to bow too. The prophet said to go in peace.
The prophet's servant was greedy and went after them. He wished to get from Naaman what the prophet wouldn't accept. He thought that Naaman did indeed owe the prophet something for his healing. So he lied to Naaman saying that the prophet needed the gifts for 2 young prophets that had just arrived. The servant was given the gifts and he hurried home.
Beth said that God alone pays for our healing and that we get into big trouble when we start thinking someone owes us.
When the servant returned home, he quickly hid everything. The prophet called out for him and asked where he had been. The servant lied and said, "Nowhere!" but the prophet knew what he'd done because he had been there in spirit. He told the servant that because he had done this, he and all of his descendants would have Naaman's leprosy and when the servant left, his skin was white as snow.
Beth said that we are all susceptible to getting what we've judged someone else for having. We need to stay focused on the Lord and all of His goodness. He alone will heal us. He alone will give us a mind, heart, and eyes like His in order to see ourselves and the world around us with. And when a trial arises we'll be able to have peace and guidance through it.
In order to see our big powerful God do the BIG POWERFUL we have to have that relationship with Him. (prayer, mediation, reading of His Word, worship, and stepping out in faith) He has a plan for our lives and our story written out. Will we stay on His path? Will we trust Him? Will we do what He's asking us to do in order to get the healing He's offering?
Our pastor's wife used a story of a young girl who came to her. Her life in complete turmoil. My pastor's wife asked her how her relationship with the Lord was. The girl responded that she prayed sometimes. After further discussion the girl revealed that she had strife with her mom, lived with her un-saved boyfriend, and she was doing drugs. My pastor's wife told her that she guaranteed she would see our Big Powerful God work in her life if she did what it took - Get into His Word. Move out and away from that boyfriend. Stop doing drugs. Make amends with her mom... Sometimes we're looking for the big powerful when what we are doing, is hindering the Lord from truly being able to work in our lives.
Like Naaman, if we aren't willing to do what it takes to get our healing, then we could be missing out on the Big Powerful. We can be our own obstacle.
