2 Kings 5:2-5 - And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had
brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on
Naaman's wife. Then she said to her
mistress, "If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For
he would heal him of his leprosy." And Naaman went in and told his master,
saying, "Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel."
Then the king of Syria said, "Go
now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So he departed and
took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten
changes of clothing.
It was a time of complicated dynamics between the people of
Israel and their neighbor…. the Syrians. The King of Syria would not accept
that Israel was in complete control of his country…so from time to time he
would send his army to raid a town…and plunder it…and bring back captives. And so a young girl found herself…far away
from home….the servant of the mistress of Naaman…the military leader of Syria’s
army.
When the family was devastated by the news that he had
leprosy…she offered the help of her God.
She told them to seek the counsel of the prophet Elisha…and ask him to
use the power God had given him to heal her master. The story ended happily…with
Naaman being touched by the healing words and waters of Israel’s God…deciding
before he left to worship God himself.
I do not believe it was an accident that this young girl
became a slave in Naaman’s home. God
lined up the pieces of two completely different families…so he could show his
power and use it to change the lives of both. God planted her there so he could
use her strong faith to plant a seed of truth and wisdom in Naaman.
I admire the faith and strength of this young lady….for her
life could not have been easy…far away from home….no friends or family that
shared her faith. No one to talk to
about the pain and loneliness she must have felt. She must have loved God very
much…and believed in him with her whole heart and soul and mind…to be brave
enough to share his power with her mistress. Her mistress must have believed
her…because she saw the hard work of her slave girl….who did her work with her
whole heart and soul and mind…even though she may not have understood why.
It is a lesson to me to never question where God places me
at any one given time. I need to embrace the work he gives me to do no matter
how menial or ugly. I might have been placed there to plant a seed in someone’s
heart…..and if they do not see me working with all my heart and soul and mind…my
words might not be believable to them when they are spoken.
Father….thank you for this simple servant girl…who modeled
for me how to love you wherever I am placed.
Give me the strength to do any work you ask me to do with all my ability….and
show others around me the great love you have given to me. Give me the courage
to speak about you at just the right time…so that others can see your power to
heal unleashed in their own lives…and begin their own relationship with you.
Amen.
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