Daily Devotion

June 18, 2006

Psalms 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

Naaman the Syrian was sick with leprosy; he needed to find a cure.  He found none to heal him in the whole great kingdom of Syria until a young Jewish girl told him of the prophet of God’s people in Israel.  She knew that Elishah could heal him.  Naaman saddled his camel, and with great company and pomp traveled to present himself to the lowly prophet with the intent of giving a rich reward to him who would heal him! (2 Kings 5:1-6)

But the prophet would not see Naaman, he sent his servant to tell him to dip seven times in the Jordan.  “What?” Naaman exclaimed, “Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers in Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean?”  Yet at the persuasion of his servants, he dipped in the waters God had ordained for him “and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (2 Kings 5: 9-14).

This is not the end of the story.  Keep reading, and you will find the great human weakness, the one that has challenged mankind from the beginning, and will challenge him until the end.  For knowing well that his healing came from the LORD Jehovah, the God of Israel, when Naaman’s returned to Syria, in spite of the screaming voice of his conscience (2 Kings 5: 18), he went to worship at the temple of the god Rimmon.  

Be not like Naaman whose visit to the temple of Rimmon stole the credit for the healing that he received from the LORD.  Do not pray privately to Him, and because of fear of the opinions of man, live a public life that denies His truth in your heart. After He has redeemed you, let your mouth, and your life  praise Jesus who has delivered you; then the world will know, fear, and trust the LORD.

Has the LORD delivered you from great and deep sorrow, praise Him!
Has He succored you from life’s dangerous billows, praise Him!

Praise Him with the song of your lips;
Praise Him with the praise of your heart;
Let no man glory in His doings;
And no god usurp His blessings.  

Isa 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Patrick Lumbroso
For past issues of the daily devotion go to my blog at:
http://hearthstoneministries.blogspot.com/