The Devil's Got a Big "But"

By Gobel Brockman


(If you think the title's misspelled, keep reading....)

     "Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper." (II Kings 5:1)

I'm one of those people who when I run into someone, instead of saying "Hi" or "Hello" I usually say, "How ya doing?" I sometimes fail to remember that it's one of the most dangerous questions you can ask. The standard, expected answer is, "I'm fine, how are you?" However, you occasionally ask the wrong person that question and soon realize that your next few moments have taken an unexpected and unpleasant turn. Instead of a polite reply, you get a rundown on everything that has transpired in that person's life since the last time you saw them. To make matters worse, the vast majority of what's happened to them would make a good plot for a Hallmark movie - or an Edgar Allan Poe short story. There are a few people who seem to thrive on sharing their misery. However, what I want to talk about today is something completely different. (Although it does remind me that perhaps I should say "Hi" more often.)

Naaman was a man who saw much success in his life. He was a mighty warrior, walking in favor with the king, held in high esteem by his countrymen, and had all the success that he could hope to achieve. BUT...he was a leper.

"But." That one thing that keeps you from stepping out and going for more. That one problem that you can't seem to overcome. That one heartache that can't be healed. That one sin that keeps returning just when you think it's behind you. Many of you reading this right now have a "but" that the Devil keeps throwing up in your life, convincing you that things will never get better:

BUT...your parents abused or neglected you.
BUT...you've struggled with drugs and/or alcohol.
BUT...you've lived a promiscuous life.
BUT...you've struggled with depression.
BUT...you've failed in an area of life and have plenty of people who won't forget it - and won't allow you to either.

The list is as endless as the heartbreak and defeated mentality that it causes. (Hence the big "but.") But there is good news: Naaman got rid of the thing holding him back in his life - and so can we. The story goes on in II Kings 5 that Naaman was told that if he would go to Elisha the prophet, he would be healed. He went, but an interesting thing happened: Elisha sent word to him to go and dunk himself in the Jordan River seven times, and he would be healed. Naaman was furious, thinking that the prophet would come out to see him and "wave his hand over the area and cure me." He started to leave, but his servants convinced him to follow the prophet's instructions. He did, and was healed.

Which leads me to my point for the week: that which the Devil is using to hold you back CAN be overcame, but it must be done God's way. This isn't intended to be a "positive attitude/if you can think it you can achieve it" message. If Naaman hadn't gone to the Jordan his leprosy would have remained, and if we ignore God's word we'll walk away just as bound and broken-hearted as we came. I'm telling you that if we want true, lasting victory in our lives, it will only come when we take God at His word and do things the way He says to do them. There is victory that only the Holy Spirit can give in our lives, and sometimes receiving it may seem as silly as dunking ourselves in the Jordan. What do I mean? Overcoming hurts that people have caused in our lives will require us to forgive them rather than seek revenge, and that goes against almost everything within us. Overcoming areas of failure may require us to confess the very things we're trying to hide. My point is that God's answers usually don't make sense to our finite human minds. But what happens when we obey what He says is pretty incredible - His answers work.

If the Devil has placed a "but" in your life, I encourage you to follow Naaman's example and be obedient to the word of the Lord. It may not make sense, and it may be a bit humbling, but if you do you'll walk away as free as Naaman did. And that's a pretty good feeling.