Admit Who You Are & Ask For Help!

Ministering: Senior Pastor Shola Awobajo.

Text: Genesis 17:1-4.

” ¹ Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. ² And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. ³ And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. ⁴ And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. ⁵ And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. ⁶ And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. ⁷ And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. ⁸ And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. ⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. ¹⁰ And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. ¹¹ But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. ¹³ And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? ¹⁴ Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. ¹⁵ And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.”

Naaman was notable military General who had been instrumental to Syria’s military might. Despite his greatness, he was a leper who needed help. The story of Naaman is synonymous to many people’s lives today – some have great credentials but no good job, some with great jobs but nothing substantial to show for it, some are beautiful to behold, yet no spouse, some married yet no peace at home. A “Naaman” leper situation could be seen as a satanic mark that only The Blood of Jesus can cleanse. The God we serve is a Specialist in taking care of any “leprosy” situation.  

Many times God gives a simple instruction to solve a complex situations. Naaman was expecting his healing to be by some complex means but Elisha just sent a simple instruction to him. Child of God, as this Word of God is coming to you never think it is insufficient to solve your complex problem. He sent His Word and His Word healed them and delivered them from their destruction – Ps. 107:20. Trust that The Word of God that created the Heavens and the Earth is powerful enough to solve whatever you are going through. Thank God Naaman obeyed the simple instruction and was healed.

Lessons from our above Text

• Obedience is a vital key to receiving all God’s promises to our lives. Abraham (the father of faith) obeyed and God fulfilled His promises in his life. This is no year to take the instructions of God with levity, make sure you obey every detail of His Word. Deut. 28:1-2.
• Bury your pride this year. Pride is a destroyer; God resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble. Jm. 4:6.
• This Year believe your matter will be settled by God. Naaman believed in The God of Israel and went after Him. Be a “God-chaser” this year.
• Believe that God has a plan for you. Jer. 29:11.
• Do not be presumptuous of how God will solve your problem this Year. 2 Kings. 5:11.
• Identify your “but” and seek The Lord for help. Naaman knew his “but” and thus sought for help.
• Be conscious of God’s Power at work in the Church. The king of Israel tore his clothes because he was not fully conscious of God’s Power in his domain (Israel). 1 Kings 5:8.

In closing, Naaman’ admitted he was a leper and humbled himself to obey the instruction given. He came down and dipped himself 7 times into the Jordan River and was thus healed. What healed him was not the River per se but his obedience to The Word God sent to him through Elisha. “So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” 2 Kings 5:14.

God Bless You!