II Kings 5
This chapter tells us about Naaman, a commander in the army of the king of Aram. He had a skin rash that they called leprosy.
Naaman's wife had a captured Isralite girl as her servant who told her that Naaman could go to the prophet in Israel to heal his condition.
So Naaman asked the king if he could have a medical leave to take care of this, and the king sent a letter to his counterpart, the king in Israel. When the king of Israel read the letter, he misunderstood, thinking that he was being asked for healing (or maybe the king of Aram had the misunderstanding), and got upset.
It was a serious thing for a king to tear his royal robe, and word spread rapidly throughout the region.
Then when Elisha heard, he sent him a message telling him to send the man to him for healing, as he was God's prophet.
So when Naaman came to Elisha, he expected a dramatic performance by this prophet, but all he did was send Gehazi out to tell him to wash seven times in the Jordan River, and Naaman felt disrespected.
But his servants reminded him that this was a very simple thing, not hard to do, so he went and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, and he was healed! Then Naaman admitted that the Lord God in Israel was above all the other gods in all the other Nations (v. 15). This is God's purpose in choosing Israel, to show that God is God to the other Nations.
But Elisha wouldn't let him pay him for doing the Lord's work.
However, Gehazi saw all the riches Naaman was prepared to give away, so he chased him down, and lied to him to gain a profit for himself, and thought he could hide it from Elisha (even though God told him the secrets of kings and commanders!).
Gehazi's greed blinded him to the realities he lived with, and caused him to lie to cover it up, knowing he was wrong. As the result, he ended up with the skin rash that had been on Naaman.
O my Father, let me never try to gain a profit where I have no business dabbling. Please protect me from the greed that would tempt me to use any kind of "dirty money" to finance my life (and travels).
I know that You have promised to always meet all my needs, and You have, You have even generously given me some of my wants. Help me to continue to look to You as the Provider of all I will need in my seeking to lift up Your Name among the Nations, and among my family and friends and acquaintances here where I am.
May I always consider You, Your character and reputation, and trust You fully, as I seek to cooperate with You in how You designed this World to work.
And You will get all the credit, all the glory, forever, for You have done it all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
