The Secret to Enjoying God’s Blessing

Today's passage tells how Naaman, commander of the army of Aram, suffering from leprosy, meets the prophet Elisha and is healed. A young girl taken captive from Israel tells him the only way his disease can be cured, showing how God reveals his power through the weak rather than through the powerful of the world. Yet Naaman tried to approach Elisha with his own authority and gifts, and the king of Israel commits the folly of missing God's opportunity.

To break Naaman's pride and his attachment to the world, Elisha gives him a command that is hard to understand. Naaman is healed only when he exposes his disgrace, bears the shame, and washes seven times in the Jordan River. This shows the principle that miracles happen only when we completely cast off the world's righteousness and our pride and obey, standing naked before God. By contrast, Elisha's servant Gehazi, though he had been at Elisha's side, is blinded by greed, tries to take the gifts for himself, and falls under a curse.

With what attitude should we stand before God in order to enjoy his blessing?