One of my favorite Old Testament accounts is the story of Naaman.  I find new instruction every time I read it.

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. Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied … So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 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 any of 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. (2 Kings 5:1-14)

This story is instructive in the context of receiving miracles from God.  Naaman was a great man who had been honored greatly by his king for his exploits in battle. Undoubtedly, a man of his strength, skills, and position was the quintessential soldier – tough, proud, and self-sufficient.  He was the Rambo of his generation.  And yet he finally faced an enemy that all of his battle decorations and military prowess could not intimidate or defeat – leprosy.  To be honest, the word translated as “leprosy” could mean any number of skin disorders and not necessarily the rotting flesh form.  However, he may have been infected with the early stages of that fatal disease.  Whatever his infirmity was, the doctors and the priests of his faith had no solutions for his problem.

That his skin disease was serious is suggested by his willingness to seek a man he did not know in a place where he was not welcome at the word of a captive servant girl. You don’t pack for a long chariot drive and load up with cash and prizes for the man you seek without being a bit desperate. So in desperation Naaman sought out Elisha the prophet.

When he arrived at the prophet’s door, the prophet himself did not bother to go out but simply sent a servant with a message to go to the Jordan River and dip seven times. In that moment two things happened.  God extended grace to a non-covenant individual who was also an enemy of Israel and he tested the heart of the man who was seeking healing.  Sometimes we ourselves start thinking that the love of God, the grace of God, and the miracles of God are reserved only for those in his household.  But all of those things came to us when we were not yet in his household.  We are told that the kindness of God leads to repentance and many times to conversion.  Expect God to bless those outside of Christ as an invitation to receive Christ. Ask God to do miracles for unbelievers as well as those already in the kingdom of God.

Secondly, miracles most often come to those who humble themselves before God.  It is the humble that God raises up.  Naaman had already humbled himself about as much as he could stand by even coming to a foreign prophet in a back eater town of Samaria.  But to add insult to injury, Elisha himself didn’t even bother to come out the meet the great man but sent a servant.  In Middle Eastern culture that was quite a snub.  He then was instructed to go down to the muddy Jordan River and dip in it seven times.  Naaman must have thought, “Are you kidding me? I’ll look like a fool and maybe I will be one. All I will probably get out of this is muddy and wet and humiliated.”

His response was anger.  He felt disrespected.  He was a great man who had brought great wealth to this nobody in Samaria.  He had envisioned the prophet himself coming out to honor him and then with pomp and circumstance, cries to the Lord, and the waving of hands he would be healed. But he had been treated like a commoner and told to go dip in a river that had no reputation for healing. His pride welled up along with his anger and he started to leave.  He started to miss his miracle.  His servant was wiser than the master and called on him to humble himself so that he might receive from the God of Israel.  He made the point that if God had asked him to do some great thing to prove his worth before healing, then he would have gladly gone off to “slay the dragon.”  To do so would have brought him glory for his bravery and  “worthiness” rather than bringing God glory for his grace.  In the end, he submitted to the strange ritual and received his healing.

Basic Principles for Receiving a Miracle

•  God does not heal or grant miracles because of our worthiness or accomplishments, but because he is merciful and full of grace.

•  We must receive a miracle on God’s terms not ours.  Sometimes, in our imagination we have written a script for God about how and when he should answer our prayer for a miracle of healing, provision, promotion, children, or relationships. When it doesn’t begin to unfold as we scripted it, we (like Naaman) are tempted to abandon the dream and the request. Stick to it and follow God even in unlikely directions.

•  Sometimes, we need to go where God is working rather than waiting for him to come to us. That would be especially true in healing. In addition, many times God will not grant a miracle without the involvement of others to facilitate that miracle in your life.

• Receive prayer and “ a word” from the lowliest of God’s servants regarding your miracle.  God heals though 12 year olds as well as through leaders of worldwide ministries. You may even be asked to do something that is out of your theological comfort zone.  Many have missed a miracle because the prayer or the methodology did not fit their theology so they walked away.

• Be obedient when you get a clear word.  Obedience is an expression of trust, which is an expression of faith. Many times, miracles only come to us according to our faith.

Be blessed today and expect miracles….on God’s terms!