Whats our motivation?

2 Kings 5
Naaman has got healed after his 7th Dip and then now he's returned to Elisha to give him gifts of clothing and riches, but Elisha refuses. Hence, Naaman, asks for some mud from the land so he can go back and build an altar for the Living God in his place. Later Gehazi chases Naaman and asks for the gifts that Naaman was planning to give Elisha, without Elisha's consent.

17 "If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. 18 But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this." 19 "Go in peace," Elisha said.

After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him."

I couldn't help but notice the stark difference in the way Naaman and Gehazi behaved at this situation. This man Naaman, came to know the Lord for the first time in his life and is awestruck and worshipful towards God, on the other hand Gehazi has gone to make better of this opportunity. Gehazi wants to make some money. I wondered, what just happened here? Wasn't Gehazi right by the side of Elisha himself, every time there was a miracle being performed. Isn't this the 1st time something so miraculous has happened in Naaman's life. Why then did Gehazi run for money, where Naaman was so overwhelmed by God's power and decided to follow him. I think it has something to do with "complacency" or "leaving the first love". Here are a few questions I asked myself, well before I go ahead I wanted to make clear , I judge myself, so that no one will judge me...so these lessons from the lives of people in the Bible, help me keep myself on track.

What am I serving God for?-For a house, for money, for health...or whatever we might need, in exchange of our service??? Well thats a very powerful question. If we are coming to Jesus ONLY for these things, we might as well be behaving like Gehazi. How many times I have said, I know, God if you do this/that for me, I will never leave you.

But the question is, how many times have I said like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did "16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

At the end of our time here on earth, will God say..

3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. (Revelation 2:3-5 )

OR

I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Revelation 2:18-20

The only way we can know for sure is to let the Word of God do what it does best,

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,

it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;

it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.Hebrews 4:11-13"

prune us and make us all the more powerful in knowing our Lord, in the way that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did, so we'd be sooooooo sure that our God is for us and no one can be against us, and we will follow God not because of that carrot on the stick principle, but because we WANT to follow God because we love Him for His love for us, because He's the One who loved us first.

The 7th Dip

Now that Naaman knows what to do, he goes to Israel to meet this prophet,Israelite servant girl told him about.

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 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."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 any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.

Naaman was convinced enough to go upto Israel, yet he was utterly disappointed by the solution given to his problem. Was dipping in a river the ONLY solution he travelled for? Was "it" that simple? Surely he could have performed such a thing back at his own place. Why was he called out so far to do so? I think, if he had known earlier he wouldn't even have bothered coming. Come on now, his problem was BIG wasn't it? Also he had been bearing this trouble for such a long time, so wouldn't it be great if someone did something similarly BIG to resolve it!!!! I'd think so too.

But looking at the situation, from outside the book, I think

1. It wasn't so much about the "procedure" of healing, but of "obedience". Was Naaman going to be obedient enough to do what this man of God (whom he didn't know) asked him to do? This result of Naaman's choice to obey or not to obey, could bring him out of that situation or leave him in there.
2. It was about "desperation" . Naaman had probably been desperate to try anything in order to get rid of his situation and was willing and even went down to being humble enough to listen to his servant girl's suggestion.
3. It was about "humility". Naaman was a man of reason, he paid attention to people and that helped him a lot. His servants played an important role in his healing. This time, during his travel to the Israel nation to meet the Israelite prophet, when Naaman almost turns around and is about to walk away from that one step he was asked to take, to dip, his servants pitch in again "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'!" And once again, you know Naaman did listen to them and HE WAS HEALED.

It was an interesting journey for Naaman, not knowing what to do, pressed into desperation by that disease, he humbled himself to listen to his servants and obedient, to the point of doing the silly and simple, 7 dips in the Jordan river as asked by the prophet. If we were to analyse the situation, it would break up into several points of being "obedient" in little things, which let into the big victory. Redemption from that BIG issue that Naaman was once facing. Sure enough it all amounted to this :- " his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. " Dipping 7 times, might have felt weird too (I think). Every dip made with the expectation to see a change, but it doesn't come until your done with the 6th one, which still wouldn't show you any changes, but it was the 7th dip. Almost like going around Jericho so many times, until that last but one, which still didn't show any indication of change. But the victory was in the last one. In the very end of obedience. So with 6 unsuccessful dips, would the 7th make a difference? Yes it did. It did because it was the completion of obedience. It was being obedient till the end of the ordeal.

Conclusion: Naaman was(I think) a desperate man, he had had enough with his situation and though not so willing, but was made willing with the help of his servants who ushered him into obedience and therefore winning the battle against disease, that had followed him for long. If you're in a situation, in a condition, in a disease which is just not letting go of you. Find out what to do (not all procedures are the same for everyone, though all may have similar diseases or shortcomings), from the right source of information. If you have found out and are following the instructions towards your redemption, then stay on it. Don't give up at the 6th dip. Go on to full obedience. The reward awaits at the end of it.

Jesus said in the parable ""His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'Matthew 25:20-22

The reward is not for people who've given up in between, even in the last but one effort, but for those who've gone till the end. "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." Revelation 2:9-11. Even to the point of death, the last stop of all human beings. Be encouraged, if you're at your 6th dip, the 7th is the one that heals. It does matter that you've been obedient in doing the 6 dips, without which you would never reach the 7th dip anyway. God will bless.

Whether we know it or not...

2 Kings 5

Naaman, a man we've all heard of since we were young. How he got healed of the skin disease. I got to thinking of all the ways in which this happened and God encouraged me as I read it.

1. God's at work in your life, whether you know it or not-v1- Naaman a very good commander of the Aramian army, then I read something about him "through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. " God was giving Aram victory through this man Naaman, a Syrian!!! All I can say is, this man might not have known God, but God was at work in his life, whether he knew it or not.
2. Window of opportunity, for introduction-v1, Though this man seemed all powerful, successful, in a good social standing, rich he had one shortcoming yeah he had leprosy. Now thats a bad disease, no one will touch you, no one will dare come to you for fear of getting it. He would probably have been a very lonely man, not having anyone who would come close to him. They would have probably looked at him differently, he stood out for reason no one would want to. Yes in our lives too, on one hand everything would be going great, yet there would be something that is not right. Well, here's an opportunity , for Naaman, to get introduced to a Living Healing God. A God who was able to resolve this condition that he faced. I take heart that, when there is a shortcoming in my life, there is a Living God waiting to introduce me to Him in a whole new way as a Redeemer from that situation. That makes life worth living.
3. God has done His homework-Now there is a wonderful piece of information the Word of God, lists right here. Just as a matter of factly for those who would want to notice it. like really notice it...and I am glad God showed me!! v2 "Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife" OK so, before Naaman could face these "peak" horrible days of leprosy, an Israelite girl was captured by the Aram army and she served Naaman's wife. I don't think Naaman would have even wondered someone could repair his lepros situation, let alone think of a little girl from Israel even being of help, other than doing the work around the house. But that was God's way of having someone near him in the situation, when the moment is right to begin the "process" of introduction to Himself as the Healer God. :) Hey, thats how our Loving Father works on behalf of His children, whether we know it or not. He has someone planted somewhere in our lives, and God is waiting for the right time for us to turn and listen.
4. The place you are in, is important- For the Israelite girl- it isn't such a great place to be in, captured by the enemy, living as a servant, but that was an important piece for someone else's life. Her being in Aram, a foreign country is very important for what is going to take place in Naaman's life. It isn't a description of a successful life (in our world), but it was in God's ways. She was where she was supposed to be. So what is politically, logically, socially, financially correct place to be in??? I'd say, to be in the place God called you to be. No matter how weird it may look to others. Remember when Jesus was out on the streets preaching the gospel, he dined and sat around with the tax collectors and the so called "bad" men of the society of that time and as "Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.Luke 5:30-32 . Have we ever thought of making fun of a doctor when he spends more time with the sick than the healthy? Then why do we look with prejudice, the people who live in the slums or come from poor houses, or from families that did not know Jesus.
5. Words that were said and obeyed-How much weight do you think, the word from a poor man matter to you, not much I guess. How much weight do you think the words of a servant will have in their master's house. No, masters never take suggestions from their servants, they run their own household, but this master did."3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." Whether her words would matter or not, this girl said what she knew best. Naaman wouldn't have known of the prophet, but this girl did and she must have said it pretty confidently, for the master of the house to act upon her word. Here's something to learn from this girl, how confident are we about our Living God, it will show in our words, also in our deeds. If our words about our Living God, doesn't trigger someone's thinking, then something sure must be wrong somewhere, in our conveying the matter, its not always the fault of the listener. Don't let go of the confidence you have in your Lord Jesus, because it is of much worth, it will save not only your life but others around you too.

Conclusion: Our God is constantly at work in our lives, whether we know it or not. Some of us may be in Naaman's position in our lives, waiting to get delivered from a condition/situation and not knowing where to get help from, for such , there is hope in listening and paying attention to whats been around you, your help, the Word of encouragement you're looking for, maybe even closer than you thought. For some, we'll be in a position like the Israelite girl, in a situation you never wanted to be in, in the first place, but then there is a special assignment for you there, so just hang in there, God will sure give you a way to introduce Himself to the people around you, in His Time.

God Bless