FINDING GOD IN A CRISIS

2 Kings 5:1 “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.”

Imagine this: You graduate from the University with honors. You are intelligent and are soon employed by a big and famous company. You do well and are promoted a few times. You are now the CEO of the company, and business continues to expand to the regions. You have made a name for yourself. You’re smart, famous and rich. But then one day, you feel a pain in your body. It’s a terminal illness. You’re devastated. All the successes of the past mean nothing to you now. All the fame and riches do not matter. You just want to stay alive.

Naaman was in a similar situation – he was Commander of Syrian army. He was a great leader and a valiant soldier. He won many battles. He was smart and daring soldier. General Naaman had the world under his control. He had everything you and I crave for. He was at the height of his career.

Unfortunately there is a big but - he was a leper. Leprosy is terminal. He is doomed. He will be quarantined for life. There was no cure. Naaman, the powerful Commander, is now a powerless, sick man. Beneath that glamorous armor is a problem that is breaking him. His status, fame, intelligence and past achievements do not really matter now. Everything looks insignificant. When the maid introduced him to a prophet in Israel, it was best news he could hear. What he needed now was to find God.

God can use crisis in our life to wake us up and help us see what truly matters in life. Naaman would have gone through life trusting himself and all his achievements, but now God brought a halt to this journey – the crisis led him to the God of Israel. At the end of it, he knew that there was only one true God in the entire world, and that’s the God of Israel.

God was what Naaman needed. He had everything that man would want today, but that was not enough. What we need today is not more of wealth, status or accomplishments. What we need is more of God – to know him, love him and stick close to him. We may have everything in our favor, just like Naaman, but one day we’ll realize that these do not matter. Jesus says, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26)

Have faith in God. That’s the lesson. You can trust him. Never mind if you do not understand everything. Do as he says. It’s easy to believe God for something you’ve already seen him do before. But Naaman’s circumstance wasn’t easy – he had a terminal disease, and nobody he knew had ever been healed of it. He has no point of reference to look back on. And he was told to do something irrational. To an army General, this was difficult. It took faith.

What are you seeking today? Naaman needed to know God and be saved. God brought him that blessing, but only through a crisis. Refocus today. Allow God to bring revelation to you of what truly matters most. Allow his love for you, not a crisis, to draw you close to him.