my way or the highway

2 King 5

1 The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories.

     But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.*


2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel,

     and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife as a maid.

3 One day the girl said to her mistress,

     "I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy."


4 So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said.

5 "Go and visit the prophet," the king of Aram told him. "I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel."

So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing.

6 The letter to the king of Israel said: "With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy."


7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said,

     "This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he's just trying to pick a fight with me."


8 But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him:

     "Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel."


9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's house.

10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message:

     "Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River.

     Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy."


11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away.

       "I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!" he said.

       "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!

       12 Aren't the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel?

       Why shouldn't I wash in them and be healed?"

So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.


13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said,

       "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn't you have done it?

       So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'Go and wash and be cured!'"


14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him.

And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child's, and he was healed!



Naaman had certain expectations...

      That God's servant would treat Him a certain respectful way.

      And that God would heal him in a way that he, Naaman, that was acceptable.

But it was only when Naaman did exactly what the prophet told him to do that brought about the healing Naaman desired.



We're the same way.

We have expectations of how God should do things for, through, & in us.

We think we know how God will respond in any given situation, when, where, & thru who.

And if He doesn't move in the ways we think He should, we get all cranky & pouty about it!

Something along the line of "I want what I want, & I want it NOW!"

     (Sounds like a typical 3 year old!)


But God will not allow us to put Him in a box by deciding how things should be, & how things should happen.

As it says in Isaiah 55:8

      "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD.

      "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."


It is only when we throw away our preconceived ideas & expectations that God will come through with His favor.


(I think I just said something prophetic for my life! I thought I'd not only quit putting God in a box, but had thrown away my box!)