Readings for today: 2 Kings 5-7, 8:1-15
Every challenge presents an opportunity. It’s simply a matter of perspective. As I think back over the course of my ministry career, I cannot tell you the number of times I have walked with someone through a challenging situation like a terminal diagnosis or an impossible business decision or a seemingly irreparable marital conflict only to have God show up and perform a miracle. I’ve seen the same thing in the churches I’ve served. Challenging circumstances that take us to the edge of our resources and beyond. Those present the best opportunities for us to experience God in a powerful way. I think of when the little church in Mobile, AL I served became a staging point for relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. I think of the time that little church opened her doors to host families dealing with homelessness in our community. Both of these efforts were beyond us. We simply didn’t have the people or the resources to pull them off. But God called us to step out in faith and met us in a miraculous way.
The readings for today are full of such opportunities. I think of Naaman, the great general of Israel’s enemies, coming to Israel to be healed of his disease. The initial response of the king makes perfect sense. Aram must be looking for a pretext for war. There is no way the king of Israel can guarantee miraculous healing. It’s not possible from a human perspective and yet the Lord had other plans. “When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel.” (2 Kings 5:8 CSB) We know from the New Testament that God desires all to be saved and come to a knowledge of His truth. This was true in the Old Testament as well. Israel was to serve as a light to the nations. A blessing to the nations. And here was a chance for her to fulfill her calling. So Naaman is healed and restored and sent back to his king where he will worship the one true God for the rest of his life. It must have been a powerful testimony.
It’s often been said that in order to have a testimony, one must first endure a test. Think about the tests you’ve had to endure over the course of your life. The challenges you’ve had to face and overcome. Did God not show up in those moments in a powerful way? Did God not meet you in those moments and work miraculously on your behalf? As you reflect back on those memories of what God has done for you, does it not encourage you as you think about your future? Does it not shape your perspective as you think about the challenges you may be facing today?
Readings for tomorrow: 2 Kings 8:16-29, 2 Chronicles 21-22:1-9