OUR DAILY BREAD : BETTER THAN BEFORE

[cimi]

December 6
Saturday


BETTER THAN
BEFORE

READ:
2 Kings 5:1-15
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[Naaman's] flesh was
restored like the flesh
of a little child.
__2 Kings 5:14
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As infants, my children had nearly perfect skin. Their flesh was soft_they had no dry elbows or rough patches on their feet. Smooth and new, it contrasted with mine, which was marked by years of various scars and callouses.

As a mighty warrior and the commander of the Syrian army, Naaman may have had scuffed skin and battle scars, but he also had a serious skin disease__leprosy. When a servant suggested that the prophet Elisha could heal him, Naaman visited him. He followed Elisha's instructions and his diseased flesh became "like the flesh of a little child" (2 Kings5:14). This cure left Naaman better off both physically and spiritually. After being healed, he proclaimed, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel" (v.15). Through this miraculous experience, he learned that there is only one true God (1 Cor. 8:6).

Like Naaman, we can learn important lessons about God as a result of our life experiences. Receiving a blessing may show us about His mercy and goodness (Matt. 7:11). Surviving or enduring a trial may help us see God's sufficiency and care. Growing in knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:18) will always leave us better off spiritually than we were before.
__Jennifer Benson Schuldt

```````````````````Father, help me to learn more about You``````````````````````
````````````````````as I travel through this world. Let this``````````````````````
``````````````````knowledge inspire fresh praise in my heart`````````````````````
````````````````````and a desire to become more like You.``````````````````````
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Lessons about God are embedded in life experiences.

**************************Today's Bible Reading __ 2 Kings 5:1-15******************************

1 Now Naaman,
commander of the army of
the king of Syria, was a great
and honorable man in the
eyes of his master,...but a
leper.

2 And the Syrians had gone
out on raids, and had brought
back captive a young girl
from the land of Israel. She
waited on Naaman's wife.

3 Then she said to her
mistress, "If only my master
were with the prophet who is
in Samaria! For he would
heal him of his leprosy,"...

9 Then Naaman went with
his horses and chariots, and
he stood at the door of
Elisha's house. 10 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."

11 But Naaman became furious,
and went away and
said,... 12 "Are not...the
rivers of Damascus, better
than all the waters of Israel?
Could I not wash in them
and be clean?" So he turned
and went away in a rage.

13 And his servants...said,
"My father, if the prophet
had told you to do something
great, would you not have
done it? How much more
then, when he says to you,
'Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So
he went down and dipped
seven times in the Jordan,
according to the saying of
the man of God; and his
flesh was restored like the
flesh of a little child, and he
was clean. 15 and he returned
to the man of God...and
stood before him; and he
said, "Indeed, now I know
that there is no God in all the
earth, except in Israel...."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Naaman's journey of faith started with humility. It was only when he
listened to his young slave girl (2 Kings 5:2-4), followed the instructions
of Elisha's servant and his own servants, and humbled himself by
washing on the Jordan River that he received healing (vv.8-14).