Text: 2 Kings 5:1-14
Instruction is a command, guide or information given by a person to another person. It is most times issued by a person in authority to someone who needed it. It is called divine instruction when it is given to an individual or group of people by God. It can be through a prophet, God’s word, a still small voice to your spirit and many more. As a child of God, we often discern when God speaks, but we sometimes ignore his words because of our own flesh.
Naaman was a great man who was the commander of the army of the king of Aram but had leprosy, as narrated in our bible passage. A little slave girl from Israel served Naaman’s wife, who felt sorry about the situation and suggested the need to visit a prophet in Samaria. So Naaman went with his horses and Chariots to meet the man of God. When he got to the house of Elisha, the Prophet, the man of God, sent one of his messengers to go out and tell him to wash in river Jordan seven times.
On hearing this instruction, Naaman was angry. He got upset because what he expected was not what happened. He presumed that Elisha would come out, pray, move his hands over the diseased site, and he would be healed. He was shocked that all these did not happen. Embarrassingly to Naaman, Elisha asked him to take his bath in a dirty river when there were other clean ones. He, therefore, left off in annoyance. Fortunately, his officers advised him to obey. He followed the command of the man of God and was immediately cured. He was so happy and went back to the man of God with gratitude.
There are many lessons from this bible story, but the main one is that we should always follow the order of God. God knows the end from the beginning. God does give instructions that, humanly speaking, do not look reasonable, but they are divine solutions. Let us reflect on some specific direction God gave to us and the outcome of our obedience. Also, let us remember how disobedience led us into troubles, delays and disappointments. Therefore, we must follow the instructions in His word and take to the specific instructions He gives to us.
Prayer point- Lord, help me always to obey you. Do not let me miss the blessings prepared for me. I put my total trust and confidence in you. Amen.
Divine instruction
