SUNDAY PRAISE

 

Hello, friends!  Hope you have had a great day today.  I spent most of today asleep.  I wasn't feeling all that great so I guess it was good I did that.

I did get to church this morning and I had two little girls in Sunday School.  The youngest one was so bad.  She goes to school for the first time this year and I told her she couldn't be running around and talking back to her teacher in school, but she doesn't believe me (or her older sister).  Boy is she going to be surprised.

I did get the lesson across to her though.  And it was a good one.  The story of Naaman.  She was fascinated that he had to wash seven times in the Jordan River and not just once.  She counted along with me (me:  "He washed one time and was still sick.  He washed two times and was still sick.  He washed three, four, five...) and asked, "Why seven?"  She also thought that Gehazi was a funny name for Elisha's servant.  "It sounds like he's sneezing," she said.  What a kid!  But so loveable at the same time.  She's the one who goes around giving everyone hugs.

But enough of that.  Let me tell you the story.

Naaman, the great leader of Syria's army, had a terrible disease.  It was called leprosy.  His wife was very sad.

"Why are you crying," asked her maid.

"Oh, it is just terrible.  Naaman has the dreaded disease.  He has leprosy," she answered before covering her face with her hands and sobbing.

"Don't cry," said the little maid.  "I know a great prophet, Elisha.  He could cure your husband."

Naaman left on a journey to Elisha's home.  Elisha sent his servant, Gehazi, to tell Naaman what to do.  "Elisha says to go wash in the Jordan River seven times.  Then your skin will be pure."

Naaman obeyed Elisha's orders and his skin became like that of a young boy.  He was cured.  Naaman was so thankful he tried to give Elisha some magnificent gifts.  "Thank you for helping to cure me of my leprosy," he said as he handed the gifts to Elisha.  "I know your God must be the true God.  Take these gifts and gold as my thank you."

"No," said Elisha.  "I don't want your gifts.  May God bless you as you return to your home."

Gehazi heard Naaman offer Elisha the gifts.  He wanted those beautiful presents.  "I'll just wait until Naaman is out of sight," he thought.  Then I will go get the gifts.

That's what he did.  As soon as Naaman was out of Elisha's sight, he hurried to him.  "My master has changed his mind," he lied.  "He would like the gifts and gold."

But God helped Elisha to know about Gehazi's sin.  "You will have the curse of leprosy because you are not content with what you have," he told him.

Elisha knew how to be content with what God had given him.  He was God's child.

(based on 2 Kings 5:15-27)

Are you satisfied with what you have?  Gehazi wasn't.  He wanted more and better without trusting in God to provide it for him.  It's so difficult sometimes to be satisfied with what God has given to us.  We want newer, bigger, better things than what we have.  Now there is nothing wrong in trying to improve your lot in life.  I know that I want to.  But there is something wrong in coveting and not trusting God to provide for our needs or being satisfied with what we have.  I always say there is a difference between needs and wants.  For instance, I WANT a bigger and newer house with land around it and a deck and a screened in porch and a...  But I NEED a new bathroom to fix the things wrong with the one I have (like peeling wallpaper and missing tiles).  

Friends, trust in God to supply all of your needs.  And be satisfied with what He has given to you at this moment in time.  God loves His children and will always provide.

I am heading towards the end of the Old Testament stories in this series.  In the fall we will start stories of Jesus.  It's important to have these background stories in your life, but even more important to build on them with the stories of Jesus.

I hope you will have a wonderful week.  I will be back tomorrow to finish my story of our Sisters Getaway.  I also have another book review to share with you.  And maybe... just maybe... there will be a little road trip.  I have to see how things work out.

Until later,

Kathy