It’s all about a moment. A moment of decision making. Even as new year’s arrived, we are all in the verge of decision making. Our list of dos and don’ts are ready. Our new year resolutions are either beginning to take roots or it’s still on the tip of our tongues. However, we can always connect to Mr. Naaman. Probably, he was standing on 31st December and thinking about his condition, and how his next year would be. He might be thinking about his leprosy. he was a valiant soldier, the favour of God was upon him but he didn’t know God. I am reminded of Samuel (1 Sam 3), similarly he didn’t know God but God called him. We may be in that position. We may be sick, confused, bitter, and here people are talking about new year resolution. God is calling us, showing us favour,but we are unable to comprehend his voice and see beyond our situation. Sometimes God speaks through a different voice. He knows our pain. It’s quite surprising that Naaman didn’t know God but God knew him and not only that he gave him victory in his battles. He was shown favour by his master. But what naaman needed is not fame but he needed healing. He needed a fresh beginning. he needed someone to tell him the truth. It’s not the richness or the fame that got him healing but his humility to quietly accept Elisha’s command and also, his possessions couldn’t heal him, Elisha made it very clear by not accepting his gifts. Healing cannot be bought. It has to be accepted and acknowledged. He understood that it’s God who has healed him. It is God who has made him complete. It was only a moment that changed his entire story. He could have died as a leper. Definitely, he would have been remembered as a valiant soldier but a leper. However, God healed him and his destiny changed. It was his response to the calling of God. God made a way for his healing through his servant, teaching him humility. Humility could have been an issue with him, as we see again that when Elisha asked him to go and dip himself in the river Jordan, he became outrageous, which shows that his ego was hurt. or probably he was fed up of people’s treatment. He was a valiant soldier after all. In the same way, to get God’s healing, we need to humbly accept his calling. Approach in humility. My new year resolution will only work out if I have the humility to accept that I am the one who needs healing, i need to change, I am in need. People may have a different approach towards me, but I need to obey.
Next is his journey, he had to literally walk into that river. People say that, the river was very dirty. It was not at all approachable, that’s why he says don’t we have rivers in our place that he has asked me to dip here. His logic and common sense didn’t meet up with the command that was given to him. Many times my knowledge or logic would be challenged. But am I still willing to accept the word from a stranger. God is working on my character. He is working with my ideologies, and challenging my logic and common sense. Breaking all that is formed by the world.
Every miracle takes time and patience. We stand in this new year, hoping that this New year will bring newness but are we ready for some chiselling and some patience. It takes a lot of courage to actually, take that step into our new year resolution. May be we have failed many times, we have tried ‘n’ number of times but may be we have not had enough courage to continue with it. We told ourself that it won’t work, I am a fool, that I am doing this, one dip, second dip, look at my self, I am a shame, third dip, why am I even attempting this, fourth dip, let me just give up, fifth dip, ok now since I have come so far let me just do the other two. it’s a dread. Will I accomplish this or will I look like a fool drenched in mud. This was extreme patience, humility and courage that requires our new year’s resolution to work out or for that matter any change to workout. it’s a moment that can work a miracle.
2 Kings 5
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, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.[a]
2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 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.”
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents[b] of silver, six thousand shekels[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 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 all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
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.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
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.
Before & After
- Naaman was a great man
through him the Lord had given victory
he had leprosy, Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. Naaman went away angry, servants went to him and said, “My father..for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord.
- Elisha: Elisha the man of God. he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. Elisha sent a messenger. As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.”
Naaman was angry, he was confused, he needed help. However, he was a good man.
The word of God is Alive
Half a century ago, in one of the Indian villages, there was a family. the family size was five( Husband, wife and three children). The Husband was a drunkard and notorious man. His wife was a home maker and simple lady. The man had all kinds of bad habits such as drinking, fighting in the streets, cheating and beating wife. He used to quarrel with his wife almost every day.
One day he took a sharp knife and killed his wife at the culmination of their argument and fight. He was imprisoned for a life time – for sixteen years. Their three children became orphans. They had two boys and a girl. The girl baby was just one and half years when she lost her mother. The boys were ten and eight years old respectively. These children were brought up by their maternal grandparents. Due to poverty, the older son discontinued his education, however, the second son continued his education with much struggles.
The man became a prisoner and he was serving the Vellore central Prison. He had witnessed the preachers who had come into the prison to tell the love of Jesus and pray for the prisoners. He approached that evangelist to help his children to continue their studies. The evangelist promised him that he will take his three children into a Christian Boarding School. Finally, he succeed by taking his second son and the daughter. The first son had already discontinued his education, therefore he couldn’t help him.
However, that girl did not accept Jesus Christ but the second son accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour. He committed himself into the full time ministry. He was sent out of the hostel after five years after his 12th grade. Then he continued his graduation at Vellore Voorhees College. After graduation he joined the Operation Mobilization for Evangelistic ministry.
He joined Methodist Church in 1990 and was sponsored for theological Studies, he went to Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur for his Theological formation. He was awarded 20 academic awards for his excellent performance in his studies. And he received the university Medal for NT Studies in the 1995 batch of the Serampore University, Kolkata. After his completion of BD studies he was ordained as Pastor in the Chennai Regional Conference after the due examinations and scrutiny of his candidature. Now He serves as a Senior Pastor of Anna Nagar Methodist Church in Chennai, India. Further he had done his M.S.W, M. Phil and pursues his Ph.D.
He is married to Uma who is also a Pastor. He is blessed with two daughters. Who can understand the way of the Lord? The boy is no one else than the author of this article.
May the name of the Lord be glorified. Jesus Changes Life
Contributed by Rev.andrew B Natarajan on May 16, 2017 (message contributor)
Everything continues in a state of rest unless it is compelled to change by forces impressed upon it.
Issac Newton, First Law of Motion.
Naaman’s life changed. To come to that moment of change, it takes humility, courage and patience. i may be surrounded with doubts, with hurts from people, but the only thing that can change my situation is my trust in God and obedience to his voice. Also, lot of people play a role in our life. Acknowledge their presence. God can speak through us and through them.
God sent Jesus into our life to transform us and change us completely. He sacrificed himself for your moment. This moment of change can only come with my faith in Jesus. it can come with my moment of revelation about this true God. we may be hurt, humiliated, and challenged. What is God speaking to us about our new year’s resolution or a decision to change? Can we trust the cross? We need to take courage and go to this river. Thankfully, Jesus has done all the humiliating part of it. We need to do the acknowledging part of it. Acknowledging that God can change my life. As we take a step each day towards, reading the word (first dip), Praying (second dip), refusing temptations to go back to the old ways (third dip), Talking to my leader about my struggles (fourth dip), being connected to his people (fifth dip), I will see a breakthrough coming. It took seven dips for Namaan to see a miracle. May be we are just there, we got to persevere till the end. Who knows your situation better, you or God? Restoration is on it’s way. It’s all about that moment.
Sandra wife of Virjil .The New Hope Community is situated in the heart of the city between Old and New Panvel. We can confidently share that New Hope Community is a Church in Kamothe, Church in Khandeshwar, Church in Khanda Colony, Church in Panvel, Church in New Panvel because we are centrally located and these places surround our church Venue.
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