[Tuesday's Devotional] - Love and obedience as answer to prayer

Love and obedience as answer to prayer  Naaman was a Syrian army general and hero.  Unfortunately he had leprosy, something he privately contended for.    It so happened that in his household there was a little maid he had captured in battle with Israel.   One day the little girl said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy!"   Long story short - Naaman went to Samaria in Israel and when prophet Elisha heard that he was outside his home, he sent his messenger:   ".... to tell him to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed of every trace of his leprosy!  But Naaman was angry and stalked away.    "Look," he said, "I thought at least he would come out and talk to me! I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call upon the name of the Lord his God and heal me!  Aren't the Abana River and Pharpar River of Damascus better than all the rivers of Israel put together? If it's rivers I need, I'll wash at home and get rid of my leprosy." So he went away in a rage". It took a lot of persuasion by his officers for Naaman to humble himself and obey what Elisha had said and the miracle happened.   His skin was healed and became like that of a baby! 2 Kings 5:10-12 [TLB]   Here is what I want you to see.  If the little maid captured from Israel had been bitter and not forgiven the General for invading her country and removing her from her family and friends, she would have not acted in love and suggest to the general that if he were to go see prophet Elisha, he would be healed.   If Naaman had not humbled himself and obeyed, he would have missed his miracle!   Are you withholding somebody's miracle by holding grudges against them?  Are you missing your own miracle by not being obedient?   I want you also to imagine what happened to the little maid when healed Naaman returned home.  Maybe she received her own miracle of freedom - being sent back to Israel.  But God has made one thing clear to us.  He honoured her by including her story in the bible for us to learn from her unreserved act of love!   Farai Mutsambiwa    Twitter Website Copyright © 2016 St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a subscriber to the Daily Devotionals Our mailing address is: St. Matthews & St. Oswalds Church 1a New Street Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7BE United Kingdom Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Want to be added to our mailing list? - sign up here!