DISCUSSION
“You have got to be kidding me. You mean to tell me that if I go and dip myself in the Jordan River seven times, my leprosy will go away? You’re not even going to lay your hands on me, or touch me, or say abracadabra or nothing? Man, that is the craziest thing I have ever heard!” That might have been the way Naaman reacted if this happened today. Honestly, considering what Elisha said to him, we might have said the very same thing. It seems strange to think that doing something so simple would accomplish so much. Yet, that is exactly what happened! You see the power was not in the Jordan River, and it wasn’t even in Elisha. The power came from God, but the healing happened when Naaman obeyed. The same thing happens to us today. It seems strange to believe that being baptized into a body of water can remove all our sins. However, we must remember the power is not in the water; it isn’t even in the action of the baptism. The power comes from God through the blood of Jesus that was shed for us. Salvation doesn’t happen because we are dunked under the water; it happens because of our belief in and our obedience to the power behind it. If Naaman had gone somewhere else, he would have probably died a leper, yet because of his obedience to the word of the LORD, he was healed. Today, we too have a healing to receive that is much greater than that of leprosy; it is the healing we get from the forgiveness of sin. How we receive this forgiveness, does it seem strange? Not when we understand the power behind the One who is doing the forgiving.
Prayer Requests:_______________________________________________________________________