Overcoming Setbacks In Life

the house, a messenger came and said, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” (5:10).

Imagine this, Commander Naaman with his group of men and all the gifts he brought along, standing outside and wasn’t even invited in. And was told to wash – in river Jordan – worst than the rivers back home – and to wash 7 times. Naaman must be thinking, “Do you know who you are talking to?” He was angry – naturally (v.11) and wanted to leave. He didn’t like the way he was being treated.

(2) God’s Way Is Different From Ours – Submit to Him

This was a challenge of faith. 5:11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.”

Very often, we come to God in the same way. We have our plan and we expect God to say YES to it. “Lord, give me a cure. Wave your hand and let the problem disappears. And I will be on my way.” We want Him to save us - to fix our problem and we want it a quick fix.

Why did God make it so difficult for us? It’s not difficult, just different – God’s concern is not just physical healing – He wants to see faith, He wants to see obedience, He wants to see humility… He wants us to receive the Giver, not just the gift. A crisis may be God’s tool to create submission in you, and you learn what it means to obey His will and not your own.

Obeying God was not what Naaman was expecting. He thought he could bring some gifts and buy some help. But God wanted to save his soul – faith in Him and obedience to His words – this is more important than mere physical healing.

The worst thing that can happen is for us to walk out on God even before we receive His healing; not because He was not willing, but we have no faith; not because He cannot heal, but we do not want to submit to His ways. It would be sad if we want things our own way and lose God’s blessings.

We thank God - Naaman did not leave. The servants were there to urge him – “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, `Wash and be cleansed’!” (5:13)

The servants are in fact saying, "what do you really want?" You want healing? It’s so simple – wash and be cleaned. Or do you want to keep your "face" (reputation) and leave, then you’ll keep that leprosy with you all your life.

5:14 “So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.”

That’s why we need Christian friends, we need brothers and sisters in Christ, and we need fellowship. We need to build relationship with a few closer Christians - those who are close enough to know our problem and prompt us to do right. Make time for fellowship, this is very important.

(3) God’s Way Is Faith – Trust Him

Have faith in God. That’s the lesson. You can trust Him. Never mind if you do not understand everything, do as He says. It’s easy to believe God for something you’ve already seen Him do before. But Naaman’s circumstance wasn’t easy – he had a terminal disease, and nobody he knew had ever been healed of it. He has no point of reference to look back on. And he was told to do something