NO, NO NAAMAN
September 17, 2020
Prayer: Dear merciful Father, I repent. Please forgive me for wanting a breakthrough my way. I cannot tell you how or when to move. My job is to believe that You can and will according to Your Word. In Jesus’s name, I pray.
Scripture: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways”, says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV
We’ve all been in need of breakthroughs at work or in our personal lives at one time or another. There have been times when I have wanted to speed up the process leading up to my breakthrough. I have learned that I cannot rush the process. It is not physically possible (nor would I dare if it was) march to Heaven and request that God get to moving. He has promises throughout His Word that He has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11). He wants us to have good success and be prosperous according to Joshua 1:8. We cannot rush the process of our students learning either. They all learn in different ways and at different paces.
Naaman was a commander in the army and held great honor (2 Kings 5). Naaman was mighty, but he had leprosy. His wife’s servant was from Israel and knew how God was using the prophet Elisha to heal. The servant mentioned this to Naaman’s wife, who mentioned it to Naaman. So of course, Naaman was eager to go see Elisha. When Naaman got to Elisha’s house, a messenger was sent out to him according to 2 Kings 5:9-10. Elisha knew Naaman was coming to his house, because he was the one who told the king to send Naaman there (2 Kings 5:8). Here is when Naaman messes up and acts ugly. He got mad because Elisha did not come out, wave his hands over the leprosy, and pray. Instead, Elisha simply instructed his messenger to give Naaman a set of directions. Naaman was to wash in the Jordan River seven times and be cleansed. Well, Naaman did not want to hear that. He thought his healing was supposed to happen another way. He thought he could tell God how to heal him. Nevertheless, Naaman was not crazy. He sucked it up, quit fussing, and went to the Jordan River to wash and be healed.
Afterwards, he was glad he did follow the prophet’s directions. It is important to trust God. Trust His process. He knows what is best for us because He created us. Hang in there with your students.
Copyright Niccori Thomas-Brown. Email [email protected]
If you’ve enjoyed this devotion, Niccori has more topics in her book, Doing All God Has Called You To Do: A Devotion For Novice Teachers. Available for purchase here.
Loved this!!!