2 Kings 5:11-12 NLT But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

Good morning and praise God. I hope you're having a peaceful day. Hallelujah. There's a Sunday School hymn taken from James 4:10: "Humble yourself before the LORD, He will lift you up, He will lift you up, He will lift you up, humble yourself before the LORD He will lift you up. " In our reading today we meet King of Aram called Naaman. The Bible describes him as a mighty warrior but adds that he had leprosy. Leprosy in the Bible refers to several bad diseases of the skin. According to the levitical laws, this automatically made you unclean. Through a maiden taken out of Hebrews, the Israelites, Naaman had good news that his condition would be healed. Elisha the man of God instructed him to go dip himself seven times in river Jordan. This did not please Naaman, as he expected an easier or more dignified way from the servant of God as if his condition was respectful. He would also have pilfered cleaner rivers of his city Damascus, river Abana or Pharphar. He had conditions for a condition he couldn't get rid of by himself even with the best medics of his time. This was pride keeping him from his healing. Take a moment and investigate your own life. Have you been proud in some areas hindering God's work on your life? It might be trivial pursuits that makes you feel more worth than what God wants you todo. Remember our recent story about Mordecai, he humbled himself, kept working at the king's gate even when his own raised girl became queen, he remained as the gateman even after being put in king's robe and rode on king's horses around the place. He humbled himself until the right time when God lifted him up. It is the best and right time to look back to first love you had for God. River Jordan was not the place king Naaman liked but it was the place in God's people land where miracles had been delivering. Probably you need to go back to the house of God, probably you need to go back to fellowshipping with others, probably you need to go back to praying harder and trusting in God's Word. Hallelujah. It is time to humble yourself before the LORD. It is time to trust and obey Him more than ever before. God is reminding you that you will never outgrow His wisdom. You will never outgrow needing the place of His meeting. You cannot fight this dear child of God. Your renewal and healing is in your obedience to God's instructions no matter how absurd or unpleasing it might be to you. Humble yourself before the LORD. Take the cross and follow Jesus; bear that cost to remove shame out of your life. God loves you have a blessed day. Shalom. Shalom.