When Naaman is told to go wash, it's too easy for him. Too little. No pomp? No ceremony or ritual ? Elisha did not even bother to come out himself and deliver the remedy.
But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, "Indeed, I said to myself, 'He will surely come out [to me], and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.' ~ 2 Kings 5:11
Ego is a fragile thing. Surely there is some grand thing that we must do to earn our healing. Some benevolent act or courageous sacrifice made to acquire the desired outcome. Can our wholeness come with so little effort?
Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.
And what the messenger says is repeated by the servants. Go. Wash. Be clean. Why not do the simplest things? What have you to lose?
So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. ~ 2 Kings 5: 14
And he was clean! Like a little child, clean. When we respond to the simplest of God's desires, isn't our faith strengthened and our intellect over-ruled? Yes, Naaman still wanted to give a gift - a thanks, or maybe a payment? But God had broken through and made His point:
Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel...
Now I know. In my ugliness and disease I think that I have to do something. Something more than just surrender and be humble and wash. God doesn't require deep, theological responses; just faith and obedience, faith and obedience.
Go. Wash. Be clean.
This is the lesson for me. That God had a way for Naaman that was simple. Do I reject the simple way?
Oh, that I would walk in humility. Washed in the blood and brought near. Because really, who am I, who was Naaman, to argue with the way God wants to do things?
I'm still working this one out. Sometimes it's the simplest lessons that take me the longest.
What about you? Is there something simple God wants from you, but you've pulled back from obedience?
{all these beautiful pictures are from Bailey. She'd be so blessed if you stopped by her new blog and offered encouragement!}
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One of the simplest things we can do - offering a sacrifice of praise. Giving thanks to the Giver of all good gifts, because we remember that all this is His grace to us.
178. a four-wheeler ride with little brother (oh there's a funny store here, if the kids will let me tell it sometime!)
179. peanut-butter balls, mixed up and served by Jake
180. Dr. Seuss
181. encouraging words
182. a husband who doesn't ask, just tells me that he's bringing home dinner - because he knows!
183. little girl turning 11
184. 3 kids downstairs, giggling, though they're supposed to be reading (because our schedule is flexible, remember?!)
185. a sick boy who is extra snuggly
186. soup on Sundays
187. Shelby reading to Ethan and catering to him sweetly
