Today’s reading is one intriguing story after another! God is busy in men’s affairs. From the healing of a Syrian captain to answering a prayer and floating an ax head in the stream, God is everywhere!
This morning, a young maid’s testimony stood out to me. Notice her situation. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:2–3, ESV)This young girl has a tough life situation! She has been stolen from her home and country and forced into slavery, serving her master, who is the wife of the captain of Israel’s enemy.
Now, her master’s husband, Naaman, the one ultimately responsible for this young maid’s life situation, has leprosy. Notice what this young maid does. Instead of holding her tongue and hoping the disease takes his life, she suggests he see the prophet for healing! To make a long story short, Naaman heeds the advice, and God heals him! Through this act of mercy, Naaman finds a relationship with the LORD and healing!
This maid was truly honorable despite her situation. Instead of focusing on herself, her plight, and how bad she had it, wondering where God was in her situation, and getting lost in trying to figure out why God allowed this, she saw the needs of others—the needs of those who had enslaved her! What graciousness! What mercy! What an example!
As believers, we, too, will suffer tough life situations. These can be opportunities to see to the needs of others around us that we might not have noticed otherwise. What will we do: focus on self or extend mercy?
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Kings 5-8.