THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

February 3, 2021

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading I and II Kings again. I've been writing from II Kings for the past few weeks. As you read, there is one miraculous story after another. I love reading about Elijah and Elisha!

This week I'm going to write about a man named Naaman, which is found in II Kings chapter 5.

Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in his master's sight and was highly esteemed. Why? Because through him, the Lord had given victory to Aram. Here's the thing; even though he was a mighty man of valor, he had leprosy.

Aram had taken captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She became a servant to Naaman's wife.

This young girl said to her mistress, "If only my lord (Naaman) would go to the prophet (Elisha) who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy."

Naaman went to his master, the king, and told him what the servant girl from Israel had told his wife.

The king of Aram said, "Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothes.

Naaman presented the letter to the king of Israel, which said, "Behold, I have sent my servant Naaman to you, so you may cure him of his leprosy."

The king of Israel read the letter, ripped his clothes, and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Please consider, and see how he is seeking a pretext (ploy, ruse) against me."

When Elisha heard about what had happened, he sent word to the king saying, "Why have you rent your clothes? Please, let him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. Elisha sent a messenger, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan River seven times, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean."

Naaman was angered and walked away, saying, "I thought he (Elisha) would surely come out to me, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprosy. Aren't Amanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be clean?" So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

But his servants approached him and spoke to him, and said, "If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he told you only to 'Wash and be clean'?"

So Naaman went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God. Then his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Naaman and his entire entourage returned to Elisha and said, "Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel."

Knowing the outcome of this story, it's easy for us to sit back and question, "Why did he get so mad when Elisha told him to go down to the Jordan River and dip down into the water seven times? That's easy! If I knew all I had to do to receive healing (or whatever your need may be) was to go to the Arkansas River and dip down seven times, I'd do it, without question!"

But would we really?! Sometimes the easier the task, the harder it is for us to obey and do it! Perhaps it's because we feel like if we are required to do something difficult or that requires some self-sacrificing, then we'll be more deserving of a miracle or answered prayer.

Let's look at a couple other things in this story. When the young Israelite servant girl told Naaman's wife that if only Naaman would go see the prophet in Samaria, then he'd be cured of his leprosy, he didn't seem to even question what she said. I mean, really, how many of us take the advice of a kid? And this was a foreign girl who had been taken captive; yet he believed that she really wanted to help him?! Naaman didn't even question if this was a set up to draw him away from Aram into Israel; after all, he was commander of the king of Aram's army.

Instead, Naaman went straight to the king and told him, "This is what my wife's Israelite servant girl said......" And the king's response was, "Okay! I'll write a letter to the king of Israel to send along with you." All of this was based on the words of a young girl who had been taken captive by the Aram army!

In fact, they seemed to trust her words so much, that Naaman took a whole lot of money and gifts with him. Naaman and the king had no qualms about what she had said, and stepped out in faith to obey her suggestion.

Yet when Naaman arrived at Elisha's home, and the prophet sent out a messenger to speak to Naaman, instead of him doing so himself, it made Naaman angry! Here he was, commander of the Aram army, used to giving orders and being obeyed. He was a man of great authority. Yet Elisha didn't come out to speak to him face to face. Perhaps, it was a test of Naaman's faith. From his words, he fully expected the man of God to come out, call upon the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the leprosy, and it then disappear and be healed. But that's not how his healing came! And he was frustrated and upset and turned away to go home in anger.

Sometimes we may pray for something, expect God to answer a specific way, and when it doesn't happen that way, we can become frustrated and angry. Our expectations aren't met, and we feel let down. But that doesn't mean that God doesn't have another plan or another way of sending an answer. It means that He's not going to do it like we want Him to. If we walk away in anger and frustration, without obeying the thing that God has spoken to us, then we very well may miss out on receiving the miracle or answer we seek.

Naaman's servants, thankfully, had the boldness to approach him and speak the truth to his face. Had they been cowardly and scared to speak out, then Naaman would have gone home the same way he had been when he arrived in Israel.

"Naaman, if the prophet had asked you to do something difficult, would you not have done it?" They had likely been with him in battles and knew that he was no wimp. He was a brave leader who was well respected by the king and held in high esteem by the army. These servants knew that their master was up to any difficult task that Elisha may have asked him to do.

"How much more should you obey this man of God, when all he asked you to do was to wash in the Jordan seven times?" They may have been thinking, "We came all this way to see this prophet! The least you can do is do what he told you to do, and see if it works! You're used to being the one to always giving the orders; this time you need to listen and be the one to obey."

Naaman went down to the Jordan, as Elisha had told him to do, and dipped down into the water seven times. His skin was restored like that of a child, and he was made clean!

Don't you know that Naaman was so incredibly thankful for those servant men who had the boldness to stop him from returning home angry?! He experienced complete healing from leprosy, and was able to go back home whole.

He acknowledged that God was truly the one true God. The story doesn't say, but I'm sure when he arrived back home in Aram he was a testimony to the power of what God was capable of doing. His wife saw him, the king saw him, his army saw him.......they saw that his skin was restored. His servants likely shared what had happened to everyone they came in contact with. God was exalted!

When we obey and God works in our lives, it's not only for our benefit, but so that others will see and know that God is the one true God; and that nothing is impossible with Him.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

I expect Loretta will want to go to the Jordan for our next trip. But I'm not sure I want a wife with the skin of a baby.

Israel must have had a fantastic reputation in the time of Naaman. Naaman already knew the God of the Israelites was powerful, and could heal him. He had probably gone to prophets of the false gods in or around Aram. And when he heard even a glimpse of hope, just knowing the name of a prophet to go to, he packed and headed out.

I wish America could have a reputation like that. Or Oklahoma. Or myself. It's hard to build a good reputation, and even harder to overcome a bad one. But it can be done.

ON THE MENEWE:

Chicken Fajita Soup

Add chicken to bottom of crockpot.

Pour all other ingredients on top of chicken and stir to mix.

Cook on low for 6 hours of on high for 4; or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from crockpot and shred; then replace back into soup mixture.

Add shredded cheese; continue cooking until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

Serve with your favorite toppings: sour cream, diced avocados, tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, etc.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

February has been an eventful month for me, throughout my life; some good, some heartbreaking.

It was in February of 1971 that I was saved and spirit filled at a revival in my home church, which I grew up in. I was 5 years old at the time. I remember kneeling down at the old wooden altar, with Mama kneeling beside me. Don't ever think that young kids are too young to understand salvation or being filled with the Holy Spirit. That was 50 years ago, and I've been faithful to God ever since that time!

It was in February of 1981, when I was 15 years old, that my mama passed away from colon cancer. That was a very heart-breaking time of my life, sitting at the end of her bed in our home and watching her take her last breath. That is hard to believe that it's been 40 years ago! I still miss her and am eager to one day be reunited with her for all eternity.

My sister, Janie, got married in February of 1982. I got to be her maid-of-honor. It was a cold, snowy day!

Then it was on February 5, 2005 that Jon proposed to me; which just happened to be Janie and Jimmy's wedding anniversary. Wow -- that has been 16 years ago!! What a blessed, happy, happy day that was!!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

You don't have to understand the plan to trust that God has a purpose. - Craig Groeschel

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org