Healing.

When I was young, many years ago now, I remember reading from a set of books called, "My Bible Friends." You can still find them to order online if you want to get a great set of kid-friendly bible books that will give your kids lasting memories- as I can attest to. The set of books was one that had the story of Naaman, a man who gets leprosy and whose little captive servant girl- who believes in God- tells him she knows someone who could help him. As I write this I can recall the very vivid pictures from the book, I can see the young girl wanting her master to be healed, and I can remember his austere expressions as he set about listening to the young girl, having nothing to lose, but filled with doubt.

This man was the captain of the house of the king of Syria, a very important man held in high regard by his superiors. The LORD favored Captain Naaman by giving Syria deliverance from their enemy. This Captain was a mighty man in valor, and honorable, but he was still a leper.

Long story short, Naaman listens to the young servant and goes to see the prophet of God and the prophet tells Naaman what to do to be healed- he doesn't simply heal him. Naaman is very angry at what the prophet wants him to do. It seems silly to him, demeaning, beneath his rank and dignity to do this thing being asked of him by this prophet belonging to another people. In fact, Naaman leaves angrily. But servants of his convinced him to listen and do what the prophet told him to do. Sure enough, Naaman was healed by following the instructions of the prophet.

I can picture the young servant girl with the captain and his wife all of them praying together at the end of the story, as Naaman came to believe in God after that, denouncing the false gods he previously worshiped.

This story's meaning conveyed in the child's book was that God might ask us to do things we might not want to do, that we might think are silly, but if we listen and follow God's leading we will do well. God wants to heal us. God wants us to comprehend His healing power.

Now, let's read the Bible passage this children's story is based upon-

2Ki 5:1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.

2Ki 5:2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

2Ki 5:3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

2Ki 5:4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

2Ki 5:5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.

2Ki 5:6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.

2Ki 5:7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.

2Ki 5:8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.

2Ki 5:9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

2Ki 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

2Ki 5:11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

2Ki 5:12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

2Ki 5:13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

2Ki 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

2Ki 5:15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.

2Ki 5:16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

2Ki 5:17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

2Ki 5:18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing.

2Ki 5:19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way.

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Go wash in the river Jordan seven times. How many of us right now today would gladly wash ourselves in the river Jordan seven times if it would heal us of our ailments? We would, wouldn't we? There would be a flood of people at the Jordan River right now if the river itself had that power of healing for all. The King of Israel had received from the King of Syria the charge to have Naaman healed. The King of Israel was very upset, how could the King of Syria ask of him something that was impossible for him to do? The King of Israel was so upset that he tore at his own clothes in despair. He didn't have this sort of power! Surely the King of Syria was asking this thing just to start a fight between them. The upset of the King of Israel reached the ears of Elisha, a prophet of God and it was the prophet of God who had God on His side, willing to heal this man who didn't even believe in God at all, but worshiped false gods.

The faith of the young captive servant girl set this all in motion.

We have a God who heals.

Over and over Jesus healed people by the thousands. Jesus even said these words- "Thy faith hath made thee whole."

Mat 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

Mat 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Mat_9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

We seek healing today, healing for others, healing for ourselves. We long for a time such as when Jesus walked the land of Israel healing when prophets of God could heal. We pray for healing and yes, sometimes we can witness the hand of God as a person is healed, but often there is no healing. We've no prophet to go to, Jesus is not going from city to city healing all who come to Him, and the apostles are long gone who continued this healing after Jesus died, rose and returned to heaven.

We are told to seek healing-

Jas 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord

Jas 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Are you sick?

Call for those you believe are of God.

Let those believing of God pray over you.

Let those believing of God anoint you with oil in the name of the Lord.

Confess your faults to each other.

Pray for each other.

So you may be healed.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The prayer that produces the intended effect, the extremely passionate enthusiastic prayer of a man right with God will help a lot.

Healing.

To be continued tomorrow by the grace of our Lord and Savior, may His will be done always!