God required Naaman to engage in the process of the miracle by obediently fulfilling the instruction he had been given. Naaman could not ’cause’ the miracle, but he had the power to ‘hinder’ the miracle.
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Scripture
2 Kings 5:13
“Naaman’s servants went to him and said “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’!”
Observation
As the army commander who served the king of Aram, Naaman was accustomed to doing great things. His career and identity hinged on his ability to put it all on the line, beat the odds, and achieve greatness on the battlefield. He must have proven his ability to do these things, because the king had appointed him to command the army. Now Naaman was facing a situation that was out of his grasp, and beyond his ability to solve. His leprosy was a foe that no amount of determination or physical training could vanquish. God was preparing to perform a great miracle, but first Naaman had to come to an understanding of his role in the situation. Greatness was about to be displayed, but it was to be God’s greatness–not Naaman’s. A ‘great thing’ was about to be done, but God would be the one doing it–not Naaman. Naaman’s role was to be obedient in the simple, small, routine, non-glamorous task of washing. Naaman was not going to perform the miracle, but God required him to engage in the process of the miracle by obediently fulfilling the instruction he had been given. Naaman could not ’cause’ the miracle, but he had the power to ‘hinder’ the miracle.
Application
I want to see God’s power at work in my life. I want to see Him perform miracles, solve the unsolvable problems, and make a way where there is no way. It’s easy to pray for a miracle, but then begin stressing over how I’m going to make it happen. How can I strategize? How can I work a little harder, a little longer, a little more effectively? What is the silver bullet, the missing ingredient?
God is not honored by a spirit of pride and arrogance, nor yet by complacency and laziness; but rather by simple, heart-first obedience even in the simple things. My God does great things, he simply requires me to walk in obedience to him. He alone gets the credit for the great things He is doing.
This week, I choose to walk in obedience to God. I choose to do the small, mundane, daily, routine things with excellence and a heart of gratitude to my heavenly Father–knowing that He is accomplishing what only He can do. I choose not to allow my disobedience or complacency to limit the miracle that He is preparing to perform.
Prayer
God, thank you for your presence and power in my life! Thank you that you are strong when I am weak, and you are able to solve the things that are beyond my own ability to fix or affect. I choose to walk in obedience to you with humility. You alone deserve glory and acclaim. Help me to live each day with intentionality and excellence in the responsibilities you’ve given me, so that I would not hinder the miracles that you are preparing to perform.
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