"Don't Kill The Messenger, Listen to God!"

Sometimes we can have the spirit of Naaman (2 Kings 5). We often feel we are strong and powerful on the outside; however, within we are slowly decaying away from something that destroys our very image everyday. We find out that there is healing for our illnesses, woes, and heartaches. We would then accept it and run too get it. However, when we get there we try to use our substance, power, and outter strength to obtain what is freely given. However, what is freely given is given in ways that we are not always willing to accept.

Now here it is a powerful Captain who was ill with leprosy. His female child maid saw his need and gave him the answer and told him to go to Elisha for instructions from God on how he can be healed. Naaman went to the prophet with an abundance of gifts and presents and when he got there, Naaman rent his clothes and asked the people for Elisha. When they took him to Elisha, Elisha sent a messenger (what a messenger, but I am a powerful man who brought an abundance of gifts and you send a messenger to me--tuh the nerve) to tell Naaman to go wash in the river of Jordan 7 times and you will be cured of the leprosy. This made Naaman angry and he refused to do the instructions of the prophet. He even told Elisha what he should have done. How do we block the blessings that we are to receive from God?

Three mistakes we make in receiving blessings from God are: 

1. We see our power and not the power of God.

2 Kings 5:10

When Elsiha sent the messenger to give Naaman instructions on how to be healed. He saw these instructions as if they were from Elisha when in fact they were from God. Naaman felt that because the blessing was to go wash in the filth of the Jordan river that it wasn't from God. Well because we only listen to and ooo and awweee in the grandiose of God. We can't always see the messenger as the means of the blessings.

2. We look for a big blessing in big displays and for all to see when God sends those in small secret packages.

2 Kings 5:11-12

Naaman got caught up in knowing how God has used Elisha in the past. Naaman felt Elisha would come out and call out to God and God would strike Elisha with a healing lighting bolt and send that power from the bolt into the hands of Elisha and he would touch Naaman and Naaman would fall and instantly be healed (really?). Sounds like some of us because look at too much fake preaching on television. Come on Naaman, Yes, God could have had Elisha do those things like He allowed Moses to display His work in the parting the red sea, coming to Moses in a bush of fire and not consuming it, or causing a great flood to wipe away all wickedness, but saving only Noah and his family, etc. But God didn't He asked Naaman to do something simple as taking a bath in dirty water to become clean. Now to the natural...Oh God that's just nasty...run some clean bathwater with a lot of bubbles and we can do this. Really people? We get caught up in the bells and whistles of so many of the messengers of God that we believe that God will do that big thing for us. But it's not always the case...but in every case God is with us, ready to heal us.  However, we have to accept the sometimes dirty and small blessings as well as the gleaming lights and stars blessing.

3. We fail to realize that the blessing is not always in our favor but in the favor for someone else.

----2 Kings 5:13-14

When Naaman refused to go wash in the Jordan because of Elisha’s (joke) message, Naamans' men came to him and said why won’t you go do this simple thing, if God would have given you this complicated mission to get your healing wouldn’t you have done it? Naaman, like well yeah…that’s kind what I was expecting. The men was like, well you should be glad that all God asked you to do was to take a bath…an extra long bath, the the dirtiest and smelliest river, but in this water is your healing…why not go get your healing? Naaman came to his senses and did what he was told to do.
Ok, think about the task in your life that God has asked you to do to come out of the situation that you are in. Well, we’re still there because we believe that God is going to descend from heaven just for us and come on a magic Escalade or Bugattie and ride us out in to the life of our dreams. NAH!!!! We have to do what God says, when He says it, and how He says it.

Conclusion

Your blessing is not in the messenger, your blessing is from God. DO WHAT HE SAYS TO DO. Pray everyone including myself got something from this today. I know that it has truly blessed me this morning.

Lord I pray that you open the eyes of our hearts and not the eyes of our wants. God our desire should not only be to understand your word, but to follow your word. While God we get caught up in the riches and excessive powers of man. We need to know that our power is always and forever in You. In Jesus Name, heal us today, that we not Kill your messenger, but listen to You. Amen.