A Lesson From Naaman

Wednesday afternoon, I was feeling a little bit like Naaman from the Bible.  I have poison ivy and I was thinking it would be wonderful to dip myself into a river and come back out spot and itch free!  I started to read the story of Naaman in 2 Kings and began to put together a blog about why we don't always receive healing.  However, God had another idea for taking my to 2 Kings Wednesday afternoon.  It had nothing to do with healing.  Isn't it just like God to whop me over the head with something else as I was dreaming up this blog I could write!   What He spoke to me, hit me in a very tender spot . . . tender enough that I contemplated whether or not I should put it on my blog.

So here goes.  The verse that stood out to me is 2 Kings 5:13:
"Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, "My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more then, when he says to you 'Wash, and be clean'?"

I often find myself placing more value on certain things then on others.  For instance, if you were to tell me that you are a doctor I would say, "wow, that is wonderful!"  However, if you were to tell me that you are a trash collector, my response would probably be more like, "ohhh, that's nice."  I find I also do the same thing with the work of the church/the work of Christ.

Missionaries, pastors, singers and song writers, healers, prophets, and evangelists are at the top of my list of people who change the world and make an impact.  I, for one, do not want to be left out.  I want to make an impact too.  My greatest desire is, when I stand face to face with my heavenly Daddy, He will say to me, "Well done, Melody!"  My greatest fear is He will say, "you did not do well, Melody.  You missed the mark."  This verse, in 2 Kings, cut deep down to this heart issue for me.  The Bible truly is active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and pierced as far as the division of my soul and spirit, of both my joints and marrow, and judged the thoughts and intentions of my heart. (Hebrews 4:12)  Ouch!  It hurts when this happens!  But, oh, how thankful I am that God loves me enough to open my eyes to see the areas of my life that need to be changed!!!!

Naaman was asked the question, if the prophet had asked you to do something great wouldn't you have done it?  If he had asked you to build him a kingdom, or supply him with food and drink for the next seven years, feed the homeless, or care for the orphans wouldn't you go do it?  But to dip yourself 7 times in the river is somehow asking too much of you!?!?!

Wow, those words came ringing back through my mind and I began to see how I complicate matters so much.  The "bigger" and more "difficult" and "great" a task is the more value I place on it.  I say "Yeah, bring it on!  I can do this and I can do it well!"  But to do something "simple" (and I am using that word loosely right now) like prayer, praise, giving thanks, walking daily with Jesus . . . . that is too much to ask of me?!?!  Again, OUCH!

This is it.  The answer I have been looking for.  My Jesus has not asked me to be a superhero.  That is His job.  He is the Saviour and the Rescuer . . . not me.  He has simply asked me to do one thing . . . Love Him.  To be willing to join Him in a beautiful, intimate relationship and to say "yes" to His marriage proposal to me.

There is no greater value on one calling over another.  Earlier, I mentioned the doctor and the trash collector.  The doctor saves lives and there is no greater calling, right?  But, so does the trash collector.  If it wasn't for all of the faithful trash collectors in this world, who sacrifice their olfactory system on a daily basis, we would all die from filth, disease, and sickness.  Both professions are equally needed.

Do me a favor.  Look up and read 1 Corinthians 12 and 13.  It talks about all of the spiritual gifts and how they are all needed.  The last verse of Chapter 12 says:
"But earnestly desire the greater gifts.  And I show you a still more excellent way."
This verse leads right into the love chapter!  Isn't that beautiful!?

In this, I have found more freedom and rest in Christ this week.  It has changed my walk with Christ.  I got a picture on Wednesday afternoon that sums it up for me.  I saw myself walking with Jesus in a garden. But instead of simply enjoying my time with Him and the beauty of all He is and all He has made, I was distracted.  I was looking for work to do.  I was looking for a shovel to pick up, a weed to pull, a row to hoe . . . then I would come frantically running back to Him.  "Did I do good?  Did I Jesus?  Did I do ok?"  Desperately desiring His approval.  My picture has changed though.  I don't have to look for work to do anymore.  I don't have to be distracted from His presence and drawn away from His side.  I don't have to do work in order to receive His approval.  It has been made simple.  All I have to do is join Him, by His side, walking with Him.  Enjoying His presence, basking in His grace and love, communing with Him, and following His example.  When I see Him take a step, I take a step, when I hear Him speak love, I speak love, when He sings, I sing . . . . It is so simple and restful.  Thank you Jesus for continuing to reveal Yourself to me!  I love you!

God's Benefits: I Cannot Forget Them

It is amazing to me how God works!  Wednesday morning, I woke up frustrated.  My mind was rehashing guidelines God has given to me in regards to food.  I was vacillating between wanting freedom in this area to eat more and trying to figure out whether or not it was ok for me to not follow the guidelines given to me.  Was I being legalistic eating the way God told me too?  Maybe I was not living in true freedom if I stick strictly to the "rules" given to me.  The questions and the thoughts went round and round in my head, until; realizing that I did not have time that morning to figure it all out, I grabbed them and stuffed them into my back pocket to think about later.  Well, God brought "later" to me that evening at church when Pastor Don began preaching about freedom in Christ.  Isn't that wonderful of God!  He knows exactly what we need to hear at the perfect times!  All the thoughts came rushing out of my back pocket and began running circles again through my head.  God knew it was time for me to begin clearing this matter up.

God did not make me wait long until He spoke loud and clear!  Thursday morning, as I had my devotions, Psalm 103 came to my mind.  I looked it up.  There lay the answer as clear as day!

"Bless the Lord, oh my soul, all my inmost being Bless His holy name.  Bless the Lord oh my soul and FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS;  who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction;  who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;  who SATISFIETH THEY MOUTH with GOOD THINGS; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Forget not all His benefits!  There it was.  I had forgotten.  I had forgotten the health, freedom, life, and joy that has flooded my life when I walk in obedience to Him.  I had let religious thinking wriggle it's way back into my mind and I had allowed Satan's lies to penetrate my thoughts.  (If this sounds familiar to you from other things I have posted, bear with me.  I learn the hard way and sometimes it takes several lessons for me to finally get it and stop rehashing the matter!)  I cannot forget His benefits!   When I am dry and thirsty, weary, worn, and frustrated;  I cannot forget the truth and what God has done and will continue to do in my life.

This morning as I was reading in Proverbs, it hit me how Satan likes to muddle our thinking.  He likes to bring religious, legalistic thinking into our minds, cause he knows it will cause confusion.  He likes to take truth and twist it.  We have been talking a lot about freedom in Christ at our church lately.  Satan took that truth, and twisted it for me.  "You are not really free if you have to follow these guidelines.  You are being legalistic.  You will have more freedom, if you just do whatever you want."  But instead of clarity and life, Satan's thoughts only brought confusion and death.  It was like a light bulb went off for me this morning. (A light I have seen before, but I guess I let the bulb burn out.)  I often feel that I am in a constant battle with my good self and my bad self.  It is what Paul talks about in Romans and what Pastor Don was teaching about Wednesday evening.  Clearly, I began to understand.  I am not fighting at all against myself, but against Satan and his lies. Our fight is not against flesh and blood!  (Ephesians 6:12)  I asked myself the question this morning:  Why would Satan twist my thoughts, cause confusion, desire me to struggle, and feel like I am at war with myself?  Because, a house divided cannot stand.  If I am fighting against myself, if I am in constant turmoil and confusion, then I will accomplish for Satan his desire for me:  destruction.  I will implode.  I know that road.  It leads to self-hatred and depression.  It leads to anger.  It is the road I once was on, but I refuse to walk that road again!  It is not who I am anymore.

Thank you God for your changing power in my life!  Thank you for forgiving all of my sins, for healing all my diseases, and for redeeming my life from destruction.  Thank you for crowning me with lovingkindness and compassion, for filling my mouth with good things, and for restoring my life!  You are an awesome, awesome God!

I am at peace again.  God's ways are just and good.  He is always faithful to complete in us what He has started.  All those confusing thoughts have left me.  They don't really matter.  All that matters is the hope, joy, peace, and life that I have found in Christ!