Slices
Prepare
Today we are looking at the subject of humility. If you are able, consider kneeling to ask God to speak to you. Otherwise, bow your head and open your palms as you ask.
Bible passage
Naaman healed of leprosy
5 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 ‘By all means, go,’ the king of Aram replied. ‘I will send a letter to the king of Israel.’ So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: ‘With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.’
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, ‘Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!’
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: ‘Why have you torn your robes? Make the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.’ 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?’ So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, “Wash and be cleansed”!’ 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
Explore
Naaman gives us another contrast – a man, a Gentile, living outside of Israel, wealthy and powerful, yet with a need he couldn’t hide. Naaman recognised his need but had to humble himself three times in order to receive his healing.
First, he had to be willing to listen to a female slave. Second, he had to go from the king of Israel, who couldn’t help him, to a prophet who wouldn’t even see him in person. Finally, he had to humble himself to bathe in the foreign, probably dirty, river.
Thankfully, he also had the humility to listen to his servants’ wisdom. As a result, his skin was made even better than normal – ‘restored … like that of a young boy’ (v 14).
How often pride gets in the way of us receiving God’s gifts. Sometimes we are too proud to ask others for prayer or practical help. Other times, like the Shunammite woman, we fail to recognise our need, thinking we can get along without God’s help.
Respond
Is God nudging you about humility? Do you need to listen to the counsel of those who are younger than or subordinate to you? Are there any tasks you resist because they seem ‘beneath you’? Do you simply need to admit your need to someone? Take it to God now.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Job 39,40; Philippians 2
Pray for Scripture Union
Thousands of newly created Bible-reading guides for 8 to 11s are being given out through the summer. Pray that the children who receive them will enjoy reading the Bible, learn from it and develop a desire to read more.
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