4/19/2011 9:41:52 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Serving the Lord
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference: 2Kings 5:15b-19
Message of the verses: “so please take a present from your servant
now." 16 But he said, "As the
LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing." And he urged him to
take it, but he refused. 17 Naaman said,
"If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of
earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he
sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. 18
"In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master
goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow
myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the
LORD pardon your servant in this matter." 19 He said to him, "Go in peace." So
he departed from him some distance.”
Naaman
is now a new believer and has also been cleansed of his leprosy and so he feels
that he needs to go back to Elisha’s house and give him a few gifts to thank
him for what has happened to him.
Ephesians 1:5-6 has something to say about this, and the only reason I
put verse five into it is to make it flow.
“5 He predestined us to adoption
as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His
will, 6 to the praise of the glory of
His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” The point here is that when a person is saved
he brings praise to the glory of God’s grace, and this is freely given to the
one saved. This is why Elisha could not
receive a gift from Naaman. In other
parts of the Scriptures men have turned down gifts also. Abraham, Daniel (5:17); Peter and John (Acts
8:18-24).
One
can see that Naaman is growing in his walk with the Lord because first of all
he asks Elisha for some earth from Israel.
Many people believed that there were gods for each land and perhaps even
though he has stated that God is the God of all of the earth he still wanted to
take back this earth to worship the Lord on.
It must be remembered that he is a new believer and also that the Lord
will teach him what he should do. This
will make a good witness to the folks back home when they ask him why he
brought this earth back. Next he
realizes that he will have to go into the temple with the king because of his
position of power and he wants Elisha to realize that he has to do this but it
will not be in his heart to do this.
Another
note on him coming back to Elisha’s house is found in Luke 17:11-19, “11 ¶ While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was
passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12
As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met
Him; 13 and they raised their voices,
saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 When He saw them, He said to them, "Go
and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were
cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he
saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice,
16 and he fell on his face at His feet,
giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, "Were
there not ten cleansed? But the nine-where are they? 18 "Was no one found who returned to give
glory to God, except this foreigner?" 19
And He said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has made you
well.’”
Elisha
did not lecture him about the things he asked for, he just told him to “go in
peace.” This was a usual covenant
blessing given to a Jew speaking to another Jew. I am sure that Elisha would pray for him that
the Lord would use him and the servant girl to witness for His glory while
living in Syria.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Looking back on the time when I first became
a believer I can see how patience the Lord was with me, and I must have done
some things that were kind of dumb and also not in line with what the
Scriptures taught, but the Lord has brought me this far and even though I still
do some dumb things He is patient with me and so I must be patient with others
too. The Christian life is a marathon
and not a 100 yard dash, and it is also a series of new beginnings, so when I
fall I must dust myself off and get up and get back into the race for the glory
of God.
My Steps of
Faith for Today:
1.
Continue to learn contentment.
2.
Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
3.
Remember Psalm 139:23-24.
4.
Remember the battle is fierce and I am in need of
the spiritual armor.
5.
Continue to trust the Lord to use us while he has
here on Kauai.
4/19/2011 10:09:54 AM
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