April 5, 2023
Obstacles to Obedience
But Naaman was furious 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 wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.' Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, `Wash, and be clean'?" So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now." 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. 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. 2 Kings 5:11-17
Obedience is a powerful action that can unleash God’s glory in ways beyond our imagination. Yet obeying is often difficult because our desires are being put to the test. Sometimes we’re afraid that by doing what the Lord says, we’ll end up losing what’s important to us. But choosing not to obey may actually cost us the very thing we desire most.
In yesterday’s reading, three obstacles initially kept Naaman from following God’s instructions—and almost prevented his miraculous healing.
1. Pride. As a high-ranking official, Naaman feared obeying would cost him his dignity. Conversely, his servants had the wisdom to see pride was robbing him of life. How often do we balk at doing what God says, for fear of looking foolish?
2. Self-centered expectations. Naaman was furious when his very specific expectations weren’t met. We, too, often get angry at the Lord when He doesn’t comply with our demands. But if we really want His perfect will, we absolutely must “let” Him do things His way.
3. Unbelief. Because Naaman’s faith extended only to his own vision of how he’d be healed, he initially didn’t see how obeying would cure his leprosy. It took the faith of his servants to help him see the truth: that obedience was key to unlocking God’s answer to his greatest need.
The call to obey often uncovers strongholds from which the Lord wants to free us. When we choose to respond in faith, He reveals Himself to us in a new way that strengthens our trust in Him—because ultimately, our greatest need is to know Him better.
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