THE POWER OF HUMBLE OBEDIENCE

Greetings church family!

2 Kings 5: 14 - "So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.”

Naaman was a man of status, strength, and success. He was the commander of the army of Aram, a mighty warrior held in high esteem even by the king. Yet for all his power, Naaman had a problem he couldn’t fix: leprosy. This debilitating skin disease not only threatened his body, but also undermined his dignity and control. The strong man had a weakness, and the man with access to kings had to listen to a foreign prophet and obey a strange command.

This story, found in 2 Kings 5, is a story about healing. More than that, it’s a story about humility and obedience. God used Naaman’s sickness to lead him to a deeper kind of healing—a transformation of the heart that only came through humble submission.

Naaman’s healing journey began not with a mighty warrior or a skilled physician, but with a slave girl. This young Israelite servant, captured during a raid, had every reason to hate Naaman, but she showed compassion instead. Her simple faith that the prophet in Samaria could heal Naaman sparked a chain of events that led to his restoration.

Sometimes, the voice we most need to hear comes from an unexpected place. In God’s economy, the lowly are often the messengers of truth. The proud must be willing to listen to the humble.

A successful CEO once shared how he found faith not through a preacher or professor, but through the janitor at his office. Every day, he noticed the man’s joyful demeanor, peaceful spirit, and kind words. One day, in a moment of personal crisis, the CEO asked him how he could be so calm in life’s chaos. The janitor smiled and shared about Jesus. That conversation led the CEO to Christ. He later reflected, “I had to learn to listen to the one I always overlooked.”

Like Naaman, we often look in the wrong places for answers—toward power, prestige, or professionalism—when God is speaking through the quiet voices around us.

When Naaman finally reached Elisha’s home, he expected a grand welcome, maybe even a dramatic display of power. But Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. Instead, he sent a servant with a message: “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan.”

This offended Naaman. “Aren’t the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel?” he protested. His pride almost cost him his healing.

We are not so different. We want healing on our terms. We want God to move in big, flashy ways that suit our preferences. But often, God’s instructions are simple—and humbling. Forgive someone. Admit you're wrong. Ask for help. Confess your sin. Serve quietly. These are the “Jordan Rivers” of our lives—simple, even unimpressive—but they are the paths to restoration.

A young woman struggling with anxiety was told by her counselor to try journaling her prayers each morning and to spend just ten minutes a day in silence, listening for God. It sounded too simple. She wanted a breakthrough, not a daily routine. But eventually, out of desperation, she tried it. Weeks later, she realized that her anxiety had eased and her relationship with God had deepened. “The healing didn’t come all at once,” she said, “but it came as I obeyed—even when it didn’t make sense.”

Pride tells us that healing must be complicated or grand. Humility trusts that God's ways—even when small or strange—are wise and powerful.

Naaman’s story turns when he listens to his own servants. “If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?” they asked. “How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed!’” (v.13). Their words broke through his pride. Naaman finally obeyed, dipping in the Jordan seven times—and the seventh time, he emerged whole.

There is power in obedience. Not partial, delayed, or modified obedience—but full obedience, even when we don’t fully understand.

The miracle did not come until the seventh dip. What if Naaman had stopped at five or six? We often give up just short of breakthrough because we grow weary, skeptical, or impatient. But God honors perseverance and obedience. His healing is often on the other side of our faithfulness.

After his healing, Naaman returned to Elisha and declared, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel” (v.15). The physical healing led to spiritual awakening. Naaman wasn’t just cleansed of leprosy; he was transformed in his soul.

That’s God’s greater goal for each of us. Whether we’re seeking healing in body, mind, or spirit, God invites us into a deeper relationship through the process. More than our health, he wants our hearts.

Church family, who is a “servant girl” in your life—a humble person God might be using to speak truth to you? What area of your life has pride kept you from obeying God’s instructions? Is there a Jordan River you’ve been unwilling to dip into? What simple step of obedience might God be asking of you today?

Here’s the good news about obedience. It’s a gift from God, not a result of human willpower.  God invites you to continually be present with Him, fall in love with Him, and surrender to His divine love that is the catalyst of true obedience!  

Rest assured that God is for you, God is with you, and God loves you!

Pastor Chris