5/26

2 Kings 5:2-3

2Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. 3She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."


When a nation would conquer a town on their border, they would take the people they conquered as slaves. A Syrian had taken a child from Israel. This little girl served the wife of Naaman. He was the commander of the Syrian army. In spite of the wickedness of Israel, the prophet Elijah and his successor Elisha had a great impact in turning people back to the true God. This little servant girl had faith in God and His prophets. That translated into a genuine concern for her captor when he contracted leprosy.

The little girl told her mistress how she wished he could go to see Elisha the prophet and be cured. Her faith not only gave her a genuine concern for others, but faith in God's power to heal. While most of Israel would have wished Naaman to die, she saw him as an individual in need. Israelites may have also doubted that God would even care about a Gentile enemy of Israel. She had faith God not only cared, but desired to heal him. Do we have the faith of this little girl? Do we have the understanding that God cares for even our enemies?

The rest of this story is in Through the Bible Daily Devotional (July 6 and 7). Naaman was humbled and healed, and it all went back to a little girl with uncommon faith. She set the whole thing in motion by voicing that faith.

Consider: Watch for opportunities to voice your faith at the leading of the Holy Spirit, even among the people you would least think would receive it. You will never know what God may work through your voice of confidence in our great God.