Only God’s Way Can Rescue My Eternal Soul from My Way

© 2020 by Tom Boynton (editing by Kathy Boynton)

“I did it my way,” might have been Naaman’s motto around 850BC.

Proud Naaman had strived to reach the top.   He’d become commander of Syria’s army.  But there, at his pinnacle of success, God showed him how far he’d sunk.  Naaman had leprosy!

“Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.” (2 Kings 5:1)

Interestingly, it was God, Jehovah, who’d empowered proud Naaman’s accomplishments. This is surprising because Naaman’s Syrian army was an enemy of God’s people, Israel.  Now, without a miracle, Naaman would be doomed to a living death of shame and isolation.

At the height of Naaman’s fall, a little captive Jewish servant girl recommended that Naaman visit God’s prophet, Elisha.  When the Syrian king heard this, he sent Naaman to Israel’s king with a letter, a retinue, and great riches.  Israel’s king thought Syria was trying to start a war, so he ripped his clothes in anguish.  Then Elisha sent word to Israel’s king that Naaman should come to him.

As Naaman approached the dwelling of Elisha, expecting a grand reception, Elisha wouldn’t even come out to meet him.  Instead, Elisha sent his servant with a humiliating command.

“And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” (2 Kings 5:10)

Greatly angered, Naaman wanted to keep doing things his own way.  He named two other rivers he’d prefer to bathe in.  Instead of obeying God, he prepared to return, unhealed, to Syria.  Finally, however, his own servants convinced him to humble himself and obey God.

Having reached the end of doing things his own way, Naaman humbled himself before God and obeyed the command of Elisha.  He came up out of the water cleansed!

Naaman’s humble repudiation of sinful pride, pictures the only means of eternal salvation.  God the Son, Jesus Christ, sacrificed His blood, was buried, and rose again to save His people from their sins.  “I did it my way,” must be replaced by repenting of sin and trusting Christ as the only Savior.  God does it His way!

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