A thought

Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 2 Kings 5.9-11

Why did Naaman think and believe that Elisha would quickly come outside to greet him?

The way I see it, two things caused him to think this way:

1. He was a general, and not just any general, so he was used to everyone quickly fulfilling all of his wishes and desires;

2. He was very wealthy. He was carrying more than 340kg of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold and 10 expensive garments, which was enough money to catch anyone’s attention.

In his head, the prophet would succumb to any of his biddings and quickly come out to meet him after seeing such pomp. However, this was not what happened.
The same is true for many who think they can buy favors from God because they are used to buying gifts for their wife to hide their promiscuous ways. Others think they can buy their children’s love with expensive schools, parties, vacations and clothes to justify their absence and not fulfilling their role as a father or mother. This is, they believe they can do whatever they want, without having to give any account of their bad habits and even God has to subject Himself to them and bless them in their sins, because they consider themselves to be good people and, of course, are always “helping in the church”. But their pride is completely blinding them.

Unfortunately, even some men who once may have been of God, which I doubt, were blinded by gold and ended up losing their vision of faith, this is, the Altar, and allowed themselves to become corrupted.

How many opened their “own ministries”?
How many treat people differently because of their appearance or their financial status? They are like Gehazi, who went after Naaman to ask him for money and expensive garments when he saw that the man of God was not bribed by power and much less deceived by Naaman’s gold. 2 Kings 5.20-27

His end was and is exactly the same as all those who are focused on the gold instead of the Altar, and value things or people more than God, they end up leprous and, not only do they curse their lives but also their family’s lives, of course, only those who also have their dark objectives.

In the end, pride and the spirit of deceit that reigns in this world and in the churches, makes them value gold more than the altar. They are blind…

No wonder our Savior said, Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?… Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Matthew 23.17,19

Thank God for the “Elisha” of today, who, despite the appeals of this world, have remained faithful to their calling and their faith. They rather “lose” to this world and win with God!

Who have you been: Elisha or Gehazi? Where has your focus been?

May God have mercy on us all and give us the humbleness to understand the direction the Holy Spirit has given to His Church