Week 1 - Hunger & Thirst | Day 2

SCRIPTURE - 2 KINGS 5:1; 10-14

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....

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.” 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. 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. 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’!” 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.

OBSERVATION

Naaman was a man of great status and reputation. His victories were many, and his name was well known throughout the land—he seemed to have everything going for him. Yet, as we read in verse 1, Naaman had leprosy. This condition threatened not only his health but also his honor and position. Beneath all his success, he desperately needed a breakthrough. Through the prophet Elisha, God made a way for Naaman to receive one. However, God’s plan for his healing didn’t look like how Naaman thought it would. He expected a royal welcome, a quick magic trick, and complete healing. Instead, God’s command was for him to wash himself in the muddy waters of the Jordan River seven times. As easy as this seems, to Naaman, it felt beneath him. Naaman’s pride was so great, that he nearly missed the breakthrough God had for him. Eventually, having reached the end of himself, he decided to submit to and obey God. In turn, his obedience was rewarded. Naaman received his miracle only when he chose to do things God’s way. God’s plan for the miracle you need won’t always look like how you expect, or even how you might want it to. But doing things God’s way is the only way to receive God’s breakthrough.

APPLICATION

Naaman wanted a quick, one-and-done solution to his problem. But God called him to dip seven times–a number that often symbolizes completion in Scripture. If we want the solution that only God can bring, we have to obey his calling to completion. It may be messy. It may not look like how you expected. But God’s ways will always get us closer to breakthrough than our ways ever could. We can easily miss the miracle God has for us if we prioritize what we want over what God wants. Fasting is one way we express a desire to have God’s way in our lives instead of our own. It’s a physical act that trains our hearts to choose God’s will over our preferences.

This week, as we reflect on what it means to hunger and thirst for God, let’s commit to choosing His way over our own in every area of our lives. What breakthrough do you need in your life? What relationships need restoration? What habits need breaking? When we surrender these things to God and obey His calling, we can trust that He is making a way for the breakthrough we need.

PRAYER

Today, ask God to reveal where pride or the desire for convenience has kept you from the breakthrough He wants to give you. Bring to Him the areas of your life where you need His healing and provision. He cares deeply about your needs and concerns, and he is able to provide the miracle you need.

God, thank you that you know my needs even better than I do. I ask you to remove anything in my heart that keeps me from fully obeying you. Give me a hunger and thirst for your will in every area of my life. I trust your ways above my own, and I commit to following you completely, even when it’s hard or inconvenient. Amen.

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