Simply Accept the Word of God
ICS Daily Devotions
2 Kings 10-11,14 (NKJV) And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’… So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Naaman was disappointed, offended, and frustrated. He expected something more complex from the prophet than simply washing himself in the River Jordan seven times. The River Jordan in Israel is small and its water is not clear. Naaman thought Elisha would personally come to call on the name of the Lord, perform some visible act, and that everyone would witness the healing of the leprosy. He also expected Elisha to show respect and follow proper protocol, considering he was the commander of Syria and had been sent by the King to seek help for his healing.
Naaman acts as our reflection. Like him, we are accustomed to receiving what we want from others, including God. This passage teaches us to simply accept the Word of God. In this context, it refers to what God instructed Elisha to say to Naaman. We should be like children who trust their parents’ word without any doubt or suspicion.
The servant girl reminded Naaman that it wasn’t hard to dip himself in the River Jordan seven times since he had travelled all the way from Syria for his healing. Naaman listened to the servant’s advice and obeyed.
Faith in God and the fight of faith are deeply personal. Faith depends on whether we yield to doubt or have the steadfast determination to stand on the promise that God has given us. The faith walk establishes our close relationship with God as we invite Him into every part of our lives.
Although faith in God is a foundational teaching of the Bible, many Christians find it challenging to live by faith. There is a distinction between mental assent faith and heart faith. Mental assent faith means we believe and agree with the theological truths about faith, but it often does not translate into complete trust in God when walking it out. In contrast, heart faith comes with a deep conviction about God’s faithfulness and the tenacity to walk out that conviction during complex and challenging times. Heart faith is unaffected by the senses but sees in the spirit the outcome of faith.
Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Although there will always be struggles when we grow from little faith to solid faith, because after all, it’s a different level of faith, our faith in God will become more substantial as we apply the truth after listening to God’s Word.
Sermon Series：We Need to Have Simple Faith
