What If?
The Bible contains a very interesting story about a leper from Syria named Naaman. Although he was a leper, the king of Syria honored him as a man of great accomplishment.
Because of his military feats, he was revered. During one of his military raids against Israel, he brought back a young Israeli girl who became a servant to his wife. The young girl told Naaman’s wife that if her master Naaman were with the prophet who dwelt in Samaria, he would be healed of his leprosy.
The wife told Naaman about it, and Naaman went to the king to get permission to visit the prophet. The king granted permission and sent a letter along with Naaman to give to the king of Israel.
When the king of Israel received the letter saying the king of Syria sent Naaman to be healed of leprosy, he tore his clothes and declared, “Am I a God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to be healed of leprosy?” The king of Israel saw this act as a setup to stir up a war.
Elisha heard of this and told the king of Israel to send Naaman to him. The king would then see that there was a prophet in all of Israel.
So Naaman arrived at Elisha’s place, and Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. Elisha sent a messenger out and told Naaman to wash in Jordan seven times. This was not how Naaman imagined it would go. He expected Elisha to come out to him and then call on the name of God, wave his hand over the affected places, and heal the leprosy. When Elisha didn’t do this, it offended Naaman, and he became angry. In his anger, Naaman reasoned that the rivers in Damascus were cleaner than the Jordan and said, “Could I not wash in them and be clean?” After stating this, he went away in a rage.
As he was leaving, his servants began to reason with him. “If the prophet had told you something great to do, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘wash and be clean’?”
At this, Naaman calmed down and decided what the heck? Why not try it? When he came up out of the water the seventh time, his skin was healed and new, like that of a child.
In our many situations in life where we desire God’s intervention and help, are we willing to accept His wisdom when it comes to us in a very simple way?
What if He tells us to do something contrary to what we have imagined it should go?
Often, God’s wisdom cuts through the fog of a situation with the simplest solution, which does not ask that we display our own might but rather trust Him.
What if God offers something absurdly simple as the answer to your situation? Will you say okay? Will you go way mad and offended?
If you allow yourself to build up the situation in your imagination very dramatically and He does not respond with an equally dramatic solution, you may risk being offended. Keep His greatness ever before you, and know that every problem presented to Him has a simple solution. God is not into all the drama. He is content being Himself, supernatural and all-wise.
