23 April 2010

how many times?

out of the overflow of my thoughts, my hands type.  :o)  i will finish the other catch-up posts soon... i promise.

last night during worship, God reminded me of a story out of 2nd Kings chapter 5.  the story of a man with leprosy who seeks healing and doesn't like the answer he receives.


Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."  But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.  Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. 
2 Kings 5:10-12

how often am i mad that God doesn't do things exactly the way i planned?

the thing that stuck out last night as i remembered the story is {how many times} it took to receive healing. 

So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 
2 Kings 5:14

the first six times didn't work...but they were an essential part to the healing.

what if i knew how many times it would take to learn a lesson, be healed or make a difference in any situation? 

 what if we started viewing our "failures" as part of the process instead of being frustrated with ourselves?

 realize it didn't work, learn from it and jump back in!

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