Don't Miss Out on the Incredible

Daily Devotional November 12th

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?” (Luke 16:10-12)

How many times have we missed out on the incredible because we refuse to be obedient in the mundane? That was the question I was left asking myself after reading again the story of Naaman and Elisha. If you’re not familiar with the story, I would encourage you to read 2 Kings 5. The story is of a great military commander, Naaman, who served under the King of Aram, but he had leprosy. A servant girl captured from Israel tells his wife of a prophet who can heal her husband’s condition. Long story short, he travels to Israel and is there instructed by the prophet Elisha to go bathe in the Jordan River seven times. The prophet doesn’t even pay Naaman the courtesy of meeting him in person; he just sends the instructions through a messenger. Naaman is furious–probably as much by the prophet’s apparent lack of respect for his person as by the simplistic instructions given. He takes personal affront...and almost misses out on a miracle!

A servant responds to Naaman’s angry outburst, “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’!” So, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, Naaman goes to the Jordan River and dips himself in its waters seven times. When he emerges from the water on the seventh time he was completely restored; the leprosy was gone! Not only has he been given a new outer skin free of leprosy, Naaman now also has a new heart. He recognizes that the God of Israel is the only God and he determines to serve only Him for the remainder of his days.
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Think of all this great man would have missed out on if he had not obeyed the clear voice of God through His prophet, delivered by a messenger. Isn’t that often the way of life for us as well? It is only as we learn to obey in the little things, that we will experience God’s work in our lives. How often do we under rate the need for faithfulness in our everyday lives, all the while seeking some great sign or intervention from God? It is good for us to remember that life with God is most days summed up by the prophet Micah, “the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Like Naaman, let’s learn to obey daily in the ‘mundane’ in order that we may experience the incredible!
~ Pastor Jane