PRIDE
- DAY 242
- Fear FILE: NAAMAN
- SCRIPTURES: 2 KINGS 5:9-14
Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘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 heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the 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. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, 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 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.
There are instructions that God gives us that we consider beneath us, too difficult, or just unfair. Naaman felt that way too. He was angry because his healing meant he had to dip in the river of a nation he considered less. He was a valiant man, a warrior who brought victory to Syria and even his King respected him. Then a man of God from a lowly nation that her citizens serves around his table is asking him to dip in Jordan. There were better and cleaner rivers in his hometown. Not to mention that Isreal was afraid of them. This strategy was beneath him. Yet, that was the instruction he needed to obey to be healed.
And you might say to yourself, “Namaan was just too proud, I can never think like that.” Yeah, but what about the person that God asked you to apologize to and you felt going to apologize to that person is beneath you? God should just give you the blessing without you having to go through that person. What about that person that you don’t like in your office? And God says if you want me to give you this promotion, buy that person a gift. And you’re like, what? She did me wrong. She’s the person that had been after my job for so long, now I have to get her a gift? I can’t do that.
Pride is Expensive
Nehemiah was expecting that Elijah would at least come and meet him and not send somebody to him. He was an important person and the instruction should match his reputation. Do you know what that is? Pride! God does not have to cater to our selfish desires to bring us a miracle. He doesn’t need to stroke our pride. If He’s asking you to do something, it’s because he had calculated it is the best way for the miracle to come. And chances are you need to be humbled too.
It will amaze you how many times pride cost people their miracle. A life of faith is one of humility, not pride. If you’ve been following this devotional you will know that pride stems from fear. Either it is fear of embarrassment, protecting an image, low self-esteem, the need for validation, or a superiority complex. Fear opens the door to pride and pride destroys lives.
God uses situations to change humble us. Naaman was no different. He came as a proud leper and left as a humbled healed man. That experience changed his perception of Israel. Maybe that gift will change your mind about that person that you don’t like. That person’s attitude may not be better, they may not even appreciate the gift. But something will break on the inside of you and humility will be formed in you and you’ll be more like Christ.
Don’t let pride hinder your breakthrough or miracle. Be willing to obey God’s instruction to the letter. There is no instruction from God that is beneath you because He is higher than you. There is nothing God is going to ask you to do to get a miracle that is too little for you to do.
Ask the Lord right now to help you be and stay humble.
Shalom.
