Sometimes obeying God looks more complicated than it really is. In 2 Kings 5:1-16 we see a gripping story of obedience, and how it changed the lives of those who obeyed.

Naaman was a commander in the army of the King of Aram. Although he was a great military commander, he struggled with a devastating disease…leprosy. During a time of political violence and upheaval, many people from Israel were captured and taken from their homeland. One young girl was taken and forced to serve the wife of this commander. One day she told her mistress about a prophet (Elisha) in her homeland who could heal Naaman. He was so intrigued and desperate, that he took her words to the King of Aram and asked permission to go to Israel and seek out this healing.

Obedience Principle #1: Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is speak the truth to them. This young girl could have been bitter, angry and revengeful - keeping silent about the knowledge she had of the prophet who could heal the commander of the very people that kidnapped her! Instead, she spoke the truth, and lives changed. It’s evident she was brought up in the ways of the Lord, and her upbringing and love for God propelled her to offer the truth.

In verses 9-12 Naaman goes to the door of the prophet, and instead of coming out to greet him, Elisha simply tells him, through a messenger, to go wash seven times in the Jordan river and he will be cleansed. Naaman is offended and put off by this command. But his servant helps him to see that doing this simple thing is easy, and he shouldn’t let offense get in the way of the possibility of healing.

Obedience Principle #2: Beware of missing out on what God wants to do because of offense or expectations.

God often works in ways we don’t understand. The Bible says, “My ways are not your ways,” and we’ll miss out if we stay stuck in our limited knowledge. Sometimes it’s through our offense and failed expectations that we see the greatest moves of God.

Obedience Principle #3: God uses simple acts of obedience to mature our faith. Don’t get trapped in trials and hardship and forget to obey till you see the final outcome. It’s tempting to quit, or as Naaman experienced, let pride tell you obedience is silly and pointless.

Gutsy Faith Challenge: Ask yourself this week, what simple act of obedience can I take that God is asking of me? It may be to trust Him in a certain hardship, to release a situation or person over to Him, to leave something or someone that’s hurting you, or move towards something you’ve been avoiding but sense God’s desire to change. Do it quickly. Don’t overthink it. If He’s been prompting you, you’ll see the beauty of obedience and the miracle of how He works through it.

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Episode 116: Simple Acts of Obedience