Overcoming Setbacks in Our Life

Rev Gideon Lee

1. God is our only way - seek him
2. God's way is different from ours - submit to him
3. God's way is faith - trust him

2 Kings 5:1-15

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

Imagine you have just graduated with first class honours. You're intelligent and soon to be employed by a big and famous company. You did well and became the CEO of the company. Then you made a name for yourself. You are smart, famous and rich. But one day you discovered a pain in your back and you went to see a doctor to be told you have a terminal disease. You are devastated. You have everything but nothing can help you. All your fame and riches are of no use. That is the situation of Naaman. He was second only to the king. He had everything going for him. He was never defeated in battle before because God granted him victories. He was famous. The Bible said "but" he was a leper.

It is a disease that is considered unclean. You're like an outcast. It's like someone with aids today. It was a disfiguring disease. Naaman was a leper and it's a black spot on his otherwise sterling life.

One day there was this little girl captured and serving Naaman's wife. A captive. She could have just let him die since he has taken away her family. But this little girl told the mistress that there is a prophet the healed their master from leprosy. She offered a solution. Naaman was desperate enough to listen to this little girl.

The king of Israel responded by tearing his robe. And Naaman asked why. Naaman went to see this prophet. But Elisha didn't even meet him but sent a servant. And he told Naaman to dip in the Jordan river seven times. It's double insult. And river Jordan was dirty. And not one time but seven times. Naaman was upset. But God's way is not our way. The issue is not us but our heart.

Naaman said no way. He was going back. But another servant came and advised him to do it. Naaman in the end hearkened to his servant and did it and he came up with skin like a baby's.

Is your life like Naaman's. Your are at the prime of your life but there is a but. A setback that is too big for you and you need a miracle. Sometimes when things are well you have no time for God. Naaman is likewise. He was at his prime when he suddenly had a need for God.

God wants us to be close to him all the time and not just when we have a problem. Let's be honest, when things are fine, we don't need God. When things are not fine like Naaman, God is his only way and he needed to seek him. God uses crisis in life to show us what we really need in life. Without his crisis Naaman would have never known God. That's why he said at the end "now I know there is no other God in the world but the God of Israel".

Jesus said what good if a man gains the whole world but yet loses his soul.

The word crisis is where "Christ Is". Are you going through a crisis this morning? Take courage and be of good cheer because God is your only way. Seek him with all your  heart. Sometimes you may ask God why make it so difficult? This leads me to my second point. God's way is not our way. That is the challenge of faith.

Very often we expect God to do things the way we think it should be done. But guess what, just sometimes his ways are different than our ways and his thoughts higher than our thoughts. He is interested in solving the problem from the root which is the issue of the heart.

Naaman thought he needed healing but what he needed was to know God. God is not just interested in our problems but in us. He wants to heal us spiritually and not just physically. It was not just a physical healing that Naaman needed but a healing of his soul.

God's concern for us is to receive the giver and not just the gift. We sometimes treat God like a vending machine. We come to God with that kind of mentality. That our prayers will be granted if we say that the right amount of hallelujahs and amens.

Even if Naaman went and obeyed and dipped himself five times, there'll still be no healing. God wants complete obedience.

Sometimes we bargain with God when God told us to do something. Naaman asked, no better river? God wants him to be obedient. Your solution is in God. You may have a financial problem but God also see the spiritual problem and you have to do it God's way. We have to learn how to submit to him. Seven times means seven times. Not more, not less.

I thank God that Naaman didn't leave that day. He went down and dipped himself seven times. He listened to his servant. And the little girl. That's why we need friends. Without the two of them encouraging, Naaman would not have made it. Love your enemies, that's what the little girl did. We need brothers and sisters like that in our life.

Last but not least, God's way is always a way of faith. You still need to do your part by stepping out of the boat. We need to take that step of faith. No faith no grow. Naaman had to step into the river and dipped himself seven times. You want to walk on water you have to step out of the boat. If he stayed in his boat nothing would have happened. How many of you have walked on water? Before Jesus , Peter was the only one. Naaman was also mentioned in the NT.

Luke 4:27

And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

Where was the prophet from? Israel. Yet non was healed except this outsider, a Syrian was healed. God always ask us to take that step of faith. Until Naaman was willing to take that step of faith, nothing would have happened.

What's your hopeless situation? Will you trust God to see you through? Would you take that step of faith? What was Naaman's response after being healed? He said there is no other God in the world and note that when Naaman brought gifts, it did not mention that Elisha took the gifts. His way is a way of faith. We can never bribe God to do things for us. Or buy our healing. Or arm twist God to give to us. It has to be by faith.

We must all come to this conviction that there is no other God except the God of Israel.