THURSDAY - 18TH SEPTEMBER, 2025
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - Olusola & Oreoluwa ADEJUMO
THOSE WHO FIGHT TO BE WASHED IN ABANA AND PHARPAR - Beyond The Common Series 008
II Kings 5:12, KJV
"Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage."
You need to be humble to receive the will of God. The will of God is not always the will of man. As a matter of fact, there's an intersection or collision of wills - where will struggles and fights will.
However, if you'll prosper, you'll let go of your will like Jesus role modelled to us to embrace His Father's will (Matthew 26:39).
Here's Naaman. He's a great man but a poor man also. He has a great resume but it's dotted by a problem. By Him, God has given victory to Syria but he's a leper. What a problem! Though it may not look conscupious once his dress or military regalia covers his leprosy but he's still a leper.
As if God was setting him up for healing, they brought with them a young Israelite when they went on a raid. She attends to Naaman's wife. Out of her generosity and responsibility to share 'the gospel', she declares, "only if my master would be with the prophet in Israel, he would recover him of his leprosy." This was heard and recounted. Long story cut short, here's Naaman, the captain of the Syrian army at the gate of Elisha, the prophet. Elisha didn't send him any heavy to do instructions. He only said, "go and wash in Jordan seven times and you shall be clean."
Simple instruction! I thought Naaman would rush at it. However, his pride wouldn't allow. He's not different from many big and influential people who will get angry at you and think it diminutive when you tell them salvation is free - only believe and be saved. That's the problem of Naaman. He said it out.
II Kings 5:11, KJV
"But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper."
You see, he wanted the man of God to come and weave his power - to come and look powerful before him. Why is it that the human senses always looks for things to satisfy themselves with? Why is it that when you're simple, people reject you and would want and desire sermons that'll complicate their lives. If Elisha had told Naaman to give him 500 bulls, he would have done so without having gotten angry. How much more, "bathe and be clean?" How much more, "believe and be saved?"
And why should anyone have any problem with the choice of God on how to meet their needs or solve their problems? God chose River Jordan as the cleansing or purifying water for Naaman, why did Naaman fill himself with the thoughts of Abana and pharpar and would have had that recommended for him? Is he God?
When did those who should receive instructions and abide by it begin to dictate to God what He should have done? Is this how to be perfected or made whole? Some of you are telling God, you should have chosen for me that other fellow? "Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus better than all the waters in Israel?" Some are saying, "God, you should have chosen for me from my tribe? Are my tribe's men not better than others?"
Even if they are, the problem is they aren't the choice of God. In like manner, Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius and a host of them that people follow or have come to put their faith in are not the choice of God. The choice of God - the River Jordan of God is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. To cement this, John detected Him so while He was baptizing in River Jordan. When John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River (the same in which the salvation of Naaman is), the spirit descended, rested and stayed on Him. This immediately confirms for John what God has said to him about who the Messiah is (John 1:32-33).
So, when Elisha told Naaman to go and bathe in River Jordan, he was sending Him to Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith. He was sending Him to the One that has been identified through baptism as the Saviour and salvation of the whole world.
Eventually, after his ego was appealed, he went and was cleansed. Stop saying, "are not Abana and Pharpar better rivers than all the waters of Israel? Muhammad or Buddha may look pretty to you because of the rituals attached to them but Jesus is the real deal. In Him, you'll bathe and be cleansed of all sins. When you take a dip, your sins will no longer remain or be remembered. Rather, you'll be as new as a clean slate (II Corinthians 5:17).
PRAYER: Lord, choose me amidst many. Thank You for the plan for salvation that came through Jesus alone. Pray for family members to come and be washed in Jesus - the River Jordan and be clean.
BIBLE IN A YEAR
I Thess. 2, Songs 7-8
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