2 Kings 5:15 (KJV)
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.
At the time of this writing, we find our country in conflict with Iran, creating tension throughout the entire Middle East. I saw on the news this morning where our government is urging Americans to get out of the Middle East now. I don’t trust much of what the news stations report anymore. They are often bent on an anti-American path and have little shame in using events like this to push their agenda further to the left. People I know in those areas say life continues much as usual. That means they are living, working, worshiping, and serving the Lord. It also means they stay very quiet about matters related to governments.
In this environment I read about Naaman and the little girl he stole from her home in Israel.
I think it is important to note that Naaman was a Syrian, but not a Muslim, as Islam was not established until hundreds of years after Jesus Christ rose from the tomb. We sometimes think of the Middle East as synonymous with Islam, but that was not true in Bible days. These countries had wars, but they were not jihads.
The second thing we must note is that this little girl was not hateful toward Naaman or the people of Syria. She had a genuine concern for Naaman’s well-being. Christians must get hold of their emotions and remember we are not called to hate anyone. Our heart’s desire ought to be for the welfare of all people. She was not only concerned about his soul—she cared about his health as well. Christians ought to care about people.
The king of Israel was afraid of Naaman, expecting that he was simply trying to start a fight. Elisha did not come out to meet Naaman, but the context suggests this was more about authority than nationality.
But the conclusion of the matter is the key. When all was said and done, Naaman declared, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel.”
Wars and conflicts happen among nations. In many ways they are spiritual in nature because Satan influences them and he hates humankind. The corruption of the flesh leads men to war as they seek to take what belongs to others. It is necessary that we maintain military power to protect not only our country and our way of life, but also the lives of others. Evil must be withstood, and government is the God-ordained tool to restrain it.
But as for the Christian, our one and only goal must be this—that men, women, boys, and girls around the world come to know that there is no God in all the earth but the Lord.
#ThereIsNoGodButGod #NaamanTestimony #GodOfAllTheEarth #TruthInTurbulentTimes #CompassionWithoutCompromise
A Syrian General, a Captive Girl, and a Confession That Shook the World
What stands out to you most in the story of Naaman—the faith of the little servant girl, the humbling of a powerful man, or the moment he confessed the one true God?
Leave a comment and share your thoughts. I’d enjoy hearing how this passage speaks to you.
And if you enjoy Bible teaching like this, you can find many more studies, articles, and resources at marvinmckenzie.org. Take a moment to visit and explore.
For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment