Apostle Dr. Matthew Stevenson, III said, the worse place to be is in your feelings, when your future comes knocking at your door. This is exactly where Naaman was. Let’s go knock on his door.
Knock, knock, who’s there?
Naaman was angry and offended. He was a man that was living between several dualities. Let’s see how the scripture describes it in the word.
2 Kings 5 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.
He was counted honorable with his own master and honorable before the Lord. He also was a mighty man and a leper. Have you ever had to live between the dualities of two things? You are pleasing God but also have a private struggle? You have degrees and are qualified but can’t get a job. You are a successful business entrepreneur but haven’t been successful in a relationship? You know God has called you into full time ministry, but you are also having to work a full-time job to support yourself. You have been given great prophetic words of all God is going to do but you are taking care of your children as a single mother trying to figure out how you will accomplish everything God promised. You have a list of preferences you want in a mate, but you also feel like God has told you who your mate is and it’s not the same. I want to encourage you to obey God’s instructions and don’t be offended and angry because your answer didn’t come the way you expected it too.
Perhaps, you are in the position of the little slave girl.
So, God allowed a little slave girl to be taken captive to serve Naaman’s wife. Does God have you in a humble situation that could have you caught up in your feelings when your future comes knocking?
Knock, knock, who’s there?
She didn’t miss her opportunity to share the word of the Lord to the King. This little slave girl’s name is not even mentioned in the bible nor does it even document that he rewarded her. However, when her future came knocking at her door she answered correctly. She wasn’t just taken captive and positioned to simply serve his wife. Has God given you an opportunity to help someone else get their breakthrough but because you have not been rewarded or acknowledged, you have chosen to remain in your feelings to withhold the power you have to change their life? Can God trust you with that platform to connect others and they don’t mention or tag you and give you the credit and you still be okay releasing the information they need?
Even after the little slave girl gave him the word of the Lord, he had his servant take a letter and payment requesting his healing to the King not to see Elisha. Are you still looking to someone else for your healing when God has already given you, his instructions? So, God goes out his way after Elisha hears that the King has rent his clothes and can’t fulfill Naaman’s request to heal him and tells him to see him.
Naaman now has received a personal invitation from Elisha to come. God is going to go out of his way even in your disobedience to grant your request. Let’s now see how Naaman was found in his feelings when his future came knocking at his door. Has God sent your answer, but the way you thought God would answer is different from the way you envisioned it?
Naaman asked why couldn’t he have several other different options to dip in other than the Jordan river. Stop treating your destiny like it is optional and agree with God when He has made the decision for you. Receive your healing. Another divining moment in my previous marriage was when my ex-late husband told me that pride took him and slammed him to his face and don’t be like him. When men feel unappreciated or devalued in their position, they justify their vice and for most that is another woman. Naaman was the King and he expected Elisha to entreat him a certain way. When he didn’t, he was lifted up in pride and went away in his feelings, angry and offended. How many mighty men of valor have fallen in their relationships as the King of their homes because they felt unappreciated and wanted another option than the one God gave them because they felt devalued. Thank God for the people that Naaman had around him to challenge him to obey the word of the Lord to submit.
2 Kings 5: 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.
10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So, he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, my father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather than, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Knock, knock who’s there?
It’s your restoration. It’s time to dip and humble yourself to receive all God has for you so you can be made whole. Continue to allow God to challenge you in your perspectives in this season and come out of your feelings. Embrace those God has placed around you that are really for you and not around you to drain your strength. God is bringing you into the next version of yourself as the King or Queen you are like he did for King Naaman. This next version of you will restore you back to that moment the enemy first broke you. You made me feel like I was fifteen again. He doesn’t want you to live any longer conflicted between two dualities of your public victory and private struggle. He has sent the answer to your healing.