May, 2007
"God, This is the Way I Want It"
II Kings 5:8-15
"But Naaman was wroth, and went away and said, Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper." II Kings 5:11
INTRODUCTION: In this scriptural account, Elisha was called upon to minister to Naaman, an influential man, a captain of the host of the king of Syria. He was a mighty man, proud and self sufficient, but he had a great need. He was considered terminal, for he had leprosy, a dread disease of the day. The pronouncement of leprosy in that day would be similar to the pronouncement day of terminal cancer or of AIDS.
When he heard of the faith of Elisha and miracles that God had performed, he was eager to seek out Elisha. The king of Syria sent a letter of introduction to the king of Israel, and Elisha agreed to see Naaman.
It is true that Naaman EXPECTED to be made well, but he had already pictured in his mind exactly how Elisha would approach him. He was a proud man, one who was used to having people recognize his importance. He expected things to happen in a certain way. Although he wanted healing, he wanted it to happen on his own terms--in a NICE way. He didn’t want to humble himself in order to receive from God. But God saw the pride in Naaman’s heart that would hinder him from receiving what he so desparately needed. God brought Naaman face to face with his pride and sense of self importance before allowing the healing to take place. "God, this is the way I want it!"
In what way can this scripture speak to us today? For the next few weeks I want to talk to you about healing--physical healing as well as emotional and spiritual healing. Inner healing from past hurts as well as healing from physical illnesses. Many times the healings we so desparately need don’t come. There are hindrances that we are often unaware of sometimes causing the delay. Probably Naaman was unaware of the pride and self sufficiency that stood in his way. Some things had to take place before he received a cure for the leprosy. I believe that some of these same attitudes are evident in us today just as they were back in Old Testament days. We, too, often hang on to our preconceived plan for God to work and say, "God, this is the way I want it!" What are some things we can learn from this scripture?
1. Preparing Our Hearts for Healing--Even though Naaman EXPECTED to be healed, his heart was really not prepared for it. He was a person who was very proud and self reliant. He was used to people catering to him and recognizing his importance, his position in society. He was used to "pulling strings to get what he wanted." He was used to taking "short cuts" by knowing the "right people."
Many of these influential people showed little respect for prophets at other times, but when they wanted something they could be very nice. This is an example of people "using" people to get what they wanted. That still goes on today every day. People using people to gett better grades in school, better jobs, children using parents to get what they want, friends using friends, people using God when they are in a pinch. But when the crisis is over, they don’t give these same people the time of day. Elisha, the prophet of God, saw that Naaman was this way too. He saw that Naaman was coming for the "gift" of healing but not the "giver" of healing. Sometimes we are exactly like this too even though we protest in horror--"Oh, No I’m not like that! No way."
Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desparately wicked. Who can know it?"
Had God immediately done as Naaman requested and Elisha had gone out to meet him putting him up on a pedestal, Naaman would have taken the gift of healing and gone on his merry way--never giving God the time of day. Some things had to occur in this proud man’s life. I believe that some things have to occur in our life before we receive from God. Not necessarily pride and self importance like Naaman had which blocked the way to his answer, but it can be a variety of things. The Holy Spirit can shine His spotlight on the motives and intents of our heart that we will know what it is that needs to be changed before we receive our answer.
I believe that God gave the prophet Elisha the insight as to how to deal with this particular person. One thing we know that Elisha did not do was to become an ENABLER for this already proud man. He didn’t play into this pattern. How do we know this?
1. Elisha didn’t go running out to greet him. He sent a messenger.
2. He didn’t lay hands on Naaman and give a powerful prayer Naming him, or have a special healing service for him.
3. He asked him to do one thing--dip in the Jordan River 7 times and he would be cured. This was a directive with a promise. Dipping in water was a custom back in those days, but it is said to be painful for lepers to dip in water. Probably especially so in the muddy Jordan River.
Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?
But this was not acceptable to Naaman and Elisha didn’t cater to him. It was take it or leave it. After all Naaman was the one who was in desparate need. Was that cruel of Elisha? I don’t think so because there was a problem there that had to be faced. Sometimes we have problems buried within us and it takes some kind of desparate situation for us to face them and clear them out of the way. This doesn’t always happen overnight. We, too, may go away in a huff. We might say, "I’ll never go back to that church again! I’ll never forgive that person! I’ll never speak to that person! I’ll not make the first move. It wasn’t my fault. I’ve been a Christian for 40 years! I didn’t deserve that! And we say, "I think they should apologize to me! I think....
Well, Naaman wasn’t getting his healing even though healing was within his grasp--as close as the Jordan River. Naaman went away in a huff and said, "I thought he would surely come out to meet me--that’s the LEAST he could do for me.
And stand and call on the name of the Lord his God...
And Name me in his prayer
And lay hands on me
And heal the leprosy---and make a big show out of it.
Why? Because I want RECOGNITION
I’m IMPORTANT
I want a CEREMONY
I want a NICE PRAYER
"NO, I’m not going to do that."
There are plenty of other rivers better than that. I’m not about to dip in a muddy river of all places.
Unless he was cured with pomp and ceremony, he didn’t like it.
"God, I want it this way."
The pride, the importance, the self-sufficiency showed up as he went away in a huff. And that is really not a bad thing because it was not buried deep within anymore. It was coming to the surface.
Sometimes when God convicts us of something and we get angry and go away in a huff, that’s not a bad thing because it is surfacing. It is coming to the place where we must fact it.
Naaman was confronted by God, and he went away in a huff. He still had the leprosy. He still had the great need. He was still a proud man, self important. He was not ready to humble himself. We might be unwilling to change even when we are faced with things in our lives.
Those who are helped of God must be willing. He wanted the prophet Elisha to do it all for him. Elisha gave him an assignment. He could have done it very easily. Maybe he thought it was too common or cheap--too ordinary. Didn’t want to. People say, "I want my problems to be solved, I want to be healed." But I don’t want to have to go to church, I don’t want to have to quit drinking or quit drugs or quit... I don’t want to have to change. "God, this is the way I want it!"
This pride was what God wanted to get out of Naaman. But Naaman had the choice. Was he going to cut off his nose to spite his face?
2. God Was Not Finished with Him Yet: Even though Naaman went away in a huff refusing to do what Elisha asked, God was still working on him to effect change. God sent different people his way to say things to him. You might say, "Well, this person is so stubborn and so headstrong. They’re not going to change." You don’t know who God is sending their way. You don’t often see what is going on in people’s hearts. You don’t know who is talking to them. Naaman’s servants said to him, "if the prophet had asked you to do some great thing, you would have done it. Can’t you do this easy thing?"
God used servants to reason with this proud man and he listened. The servants approached him:
1. in a respectful way
2. in a rational way
3. in a considerate way
God used these people to say the right thing at the right time in a NICE way. It made an impact on Naaman. Sometimes Christians think they have to rudely tell people,
"You’re going to hell if you don’t do this or that." No, I don’t think we have to beat people over the head. The Holy Spirit knows how to put the pressure on.
When the Lord deals with us we might go away in a huff and say, "I’ll never do that" but then when we calm down, we begin to reconsider. We begin to soften up a little bit. Naaman did after he thought about it.
I don’t think we need to worry so much about people who go away in a huff. Keep praying for them. The hound of heaven is still on their trail. There is hope for us in our stubborness and God knows how to get through to us and to others.
God got through to Naaman through the urging of his servant, and he turned around and became willing to receive healing in whatever manner God wanted to deliver it. What made him change? God knew what kind of pressure to put on him--circumstances and people to speak to him.
Sometimes we have to hit bottom before we are willing to change. Obedience to God begins with humility. We must believe that His way is better than ours. We may not always understand His way of working. Naaman didn’t at first. Don’t let your reactions to the way of faith keep you from the cure you need most. Humbly accept God’s mercy. At first it was too simple for Naaman and beneath him. He could not accept the simple cure of faith. He resisted it with all his might. Sometimes people resist God’s offer of forgiveness as well as healing.
3. A Change Takes Place: Naaman could have chosen to go either direction. We are given choices too. Naaman resisted at first. He thought about it. Going away in a huff was not the worst thing in the world because in the process it brought him to his answer. He took His healing on God’s terms finally.
It is interesting to note a couple of things here in verse 15 "and he returned to the man of God, and he and all his company stood before him and said, "Behold, I now know that there is NO GOD in all the earth but in Israel." A lot of these people recognized GODS--but he said there is no GOD in all the earth.
Another interesting thing is found in Luke 4:27 where it says, "Only Naaman was healed at that time. Why? I believe Naaman finally was willing to receive on God’s terms--he humbled himself and got the hindrances out of the way first.
We can receive from God too and I don’t think it’s all that difficult for us either. The method was easy--it was his attitude that cause him to resist.
Wash and be clean
Believe and be saved
Repent and be pardoned
Ask and be healed
Naaman was a different person--not only restored to physical health but changed spiritually. He recognized God in his life. No longer allowing hindrances to come between him and the answer, he now received fully from the God of Israel.
CONCLUSION: Are you resisting anything that God wants you to do or to change? If so, why? Are there ways you try to buy God’s blessings or take short cuts to it? Do you have your one plan worked out and say, "God, this is the way I want it! Sign here on the dotted line." As we begin this series of messages on healing, let us ask Him to shine His spotlight on anything that is hindering us from receiving. This week when we feel God prompting us to do something, try not to shrug it off.
THINK: I will accept healing on God’s terms.
