What do you want in your life? Do you want power, esteem, or something else? What if you have all those things, and yet, there is one problem you can’t defeat? Those kinds of questions are sometimes worth asking.
It’s tempting to want to have a lot of the world’s wealth and power. Especially since possessing such things makes life a lot easier to handle. In the case of one great man in the Scriptures, we are told that he had many blessings. In fact, it’s safe to say that a number of us would want to have what he enjoyed, just in today’s time. Might, honor, and power! Naaman had it all! But he has one major problem,
Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria; he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
2 Kings 5:1
From this verse, we learn that Naaman had an incredible number of blessings in his life. We’re told of at least five that had been given to him in various ways,
- He’s the captain of the army of the king of Syria, with a great deal of power and control in his position. Many soldiers are expected to do his bidding and obey his commands.
- In service to the king, he is a great man, and viewed with importance by his liege and his nation. His contributions to his country are significance and valued.
- The LORD uses him in giving victory to Syria. Thanks to this, he is honored and respected by many.
- He is mighty in battle. He is not weak, and knows how to use his strength for victory.
- Finally, he uses his strength in times where lesser men would be afraid. He is courageous and does not stumble to fear. He is heroic.
Any one of these strengths would be a great attribute to have in our own lives.
Despite that, the verse also tells us of one thing he lacked. That being a pure and clean body. Although Naaman wasn’t a Jew, we would expect him to have a degree of separation from others because of his condition. It couldn’t have been a pleasant experience, people reacting to him in an odd way because of his skin disease. Perhaps some shunning him, and others simply being uncomfortable around him. Or worse.
For us today, I think of all the great blessings people enjoy, but don’t appreciate Who gave them. Even if they are happy and friendly, when I listen to their words and see their actions, occasionally I will notice a little something that seems off. A recurring difficulty in their life. Problems with loved ones. A sin that they struggle with and need help to overcome.
Hopefully those reading this can recognize that their lives are not perfect, and do need help. It is a sign of humility to come to that realization. It isn’t easy, but in the end, it is a great blessing. Authority, strength, and honor are all great gifts, but without God, there will always be something lacking or faulty. Some of the problems we face cannot be resolved separate from Him and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Image Used
Naaman the Leper by Jim Padgett, copyright of Sweet Publishing, and from FreeBibleImages.org.
James L. Hutton 