As you read this chapter, which character stands out for you? Is it the great military commander Naaman? Or is it the godly prophet Elisha? Or perhaps, is it Elisha’s greedy servant Gehazi? For me, the person who stands out (and my personal hero) is the unnamed young girl that is only mentioned in verses 2 & 3.
Put yourself in this little girl’s shoes for a moment. She has been taken captive from her homeland and moved to a strange land far from home. She is away from her family and her friends and those who shared her faith… it would have been an easy thing for her to become discouraged and bitter. She could have looked on Naaman’s leprosy and thought, “Serves him right, he deserves it for what he has done to me and others.” But she does not.
What about this little girl makes her my hero? Three things:
First, she had compassion for Naaman’s suffering. She didn’t hate him or wish him ill; she saw his need; she cared for him and she wanted what was best for him. She lovingly pointed him towards the One who could save him. What a lesson for the 21st century church in the United States!
The second is that she had faith in a BIG God. Read verse 3 again and glimpse her unshakable confidence in God: “He would cure him…” She really believed that nothing is impossible for God. She did not allow her difficult circumstances or her suffering to cause her to doubt God’s goodness or power.
And thirdly, she spoke up about her God. She was a just a kid, and she was in a religiously hostile environment, and she was not sure how Naaman would react… but she spoke up. And it changed lives.
Ken Jackson
That is a tall order ... and I'm not sure at 6x her age, that I could show such courage. I would like to believe that I could, but ... only God knows.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ken for your Post. I re-read the passage in light of your blog re the young girl. Her compassion, Her Big Faith in a Big God and her speaking up to spare Naaman! Thank you for breaking it into that simple story to live by! Julia
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