Perceptions Matter

Turn to 2 Kings 5:1-14

In the book of 2 Kings chapter 5, we find the story of the commander of the army of Ben-Hadad II king of Aram.

2 Kings 5:1–5 (NKJV)

Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 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. 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.” And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

2 Kings 5:9–14 (NKJV)

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.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, 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. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and 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’?” 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.

Jokes, assuming incorrect perceptions

A barber once decided that he should be sharing the gospel more with his customers. So he prayed one night, Lord I vow to witness to the first customer that walked into his shop the next day. The next morning after opening, in walked a man saying, I would like a shave. So, the dedicated barber went into his pantry saying a desperate prayer before the Lord, “Here I go Lord, fulfilling my vow, give me the words & wisdom to know exactly what to say.

He turns around to facing the frightened customer, with a razor in one hand and the Bible in the other, saying with a smile on his face, “good morning sir, are you ready to die?”

Also,

There was an old farmer who refused to mingle with city life. you know the kind. He refused to go into town for anything. He had his family make their own clothes, repair their own farming equipment, and made homemade soaps and detergent. The man abhorred city folk and city life.

He was called to some financial business he couldn't escape from in dealing with his farming business. The bank demanded a meeting in person. But the man had never seen a new bank with an enormous vault and big, round heavy steel door. It looked to him like a time machine or some fancy scientific equipment fit for a laboratory somewhere. As he stood in the bank with his son, he watched as people bustled around.

he watched as a very heavy rotund woman made strenuously made her way over to the vault entrance. Shorty after she entered the vault, a very attractive young woman walked out of it. In obvious amazement, he looked to his son and said, Boy, go get your momma.

What do all of these stories have in common?

They have this in common, That our human perceptions / or the way in which we look at any given circumstance is only as good as the eyes through with we are looking at it

Just like these stories.

If we, on our own try to make sense of certain circumstances, we usually get it all wrong.

First, we need to start trusting that no matter what is going on in our lives, no matter how terrible, that God is on top on the situation

There is a divine sovereign plan working out in your life Right this very minute.

Even if you’re not going through something at the moment, you can believe He is working on something right now for you.

And in His timing, He’s going to let you go through it.

We can try to understand it, we can try to make sense of it. But sometimes, we aren’t ever going to understand,

The Who’s, the What’s, the Why’s, the When’s, or even the how’s until they actually happen. Or even sometimes we don’t really see what the purpose was until after going through something.

For instance, how many stories are there about people getting routine checks done for an unrelated issue, and because of that other minor issue it is discovered that another far more serious problem was hidden until then?

In Naaman’s case, he was facing a dreaded disease of their time.

Encounter: Face to Face with Jesus (Social Manifestations)

The respected historian Josephus noted that lepers were treated like dead people. Like banished criminals they were completely estranged from society. They had to wear torn clothes, shave their heads, and cover their mouths with a cloth to prevent the spread of the disease. If people were approaching, lepers were required to shout the warning, “Unclean! Unclean!” Lepers could get no closer than six feet to anyone because of their defilement. Rejection and isolation became a way of life for the leper.Imagine what that would mean if the leper was a family man. He wouldn’t be able to live with his wife and children any longer. He would not be able to feel his wife’s embrace or his children’s cuddles. He was cut off from all warm touch.

Encounter: Face to Face With Jesus by Skip Heitzig

God’s word will not come back void.

It WILL accomplish His will.

Why did Naaman have to go through this?

We don’t know. But we do know, God used it for His purposes by taking Naaman’s testimony to a hostile nation as a believer.

No matter what you are going through, God Will find a way use your testimony of suffrage.

Later on in this account of Naaman,

we find out he becomes a believer, and takes his healing experience and confession of personal faith in the Lord, God of heaven to a hostile nation. Here is the commander of the King’s army,

And now he takes his testimony to his world.

Maybe what you are suffering isn’t as critical as Naaman,

Maybe it is, and you are secretly dealing with it.

I want you to Know, that you are not alone. God knows what you are going through.

There is Hope!

No matter how impossible, debilitating, or even scary your issue maybe.

As our church Motto is, here at Anna First, “Jesus loves you, So Do We.”

I’ve told the story of a pastor friend of mine who was miraculously healed of Hepatitis C

I believe Jesus can heal you too.

I’ve spoken about my son Jacob and how God healed him of his early childhood affliction. Look at him now. Praise God for that.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I know that many of us are going through some very tough times Emotionally, Spiritually, Financially, Relationally, Physically Etc…

Or maybe many of us have just gotten through some major difficulty.

But I also know this, that if Naaman knew beforehand that by going into the river, He would be healed,

He never would have complained.

He would run down to that river and dove in, drinking it and all.

In the book of 2 Kings chapter 6

We are told that The King of Syria sent an army to capture Elisha the prophet.

This was because it was told to the King that Elisha was predicting all of his battle plans to Jehoram King of Israel, son of King Ahab, who’s mother was none other than Jezebel.

Upon learning where Elisha was, he sent his army to kill him Hear is what happened

2 Kings 6:14–18 (NKJV)

Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

You see, the servant perceived that this was the end for them.

Their goose was cooked so-to-speak. There was no way out for them. He was already having his life flash before his eyes.

He’s filling out his bucket list of all the things he should’ve done. He can’t see anyway out, and that summed up his perception.

Until Elisha prayed for the Lord to open his eyes to the help the Lord had sent.

The servant immediately saw the mightiest war machine ever conceived By Humans, there on the mountain tops.

There was the Lord’s army, just waiting for the word “GO” from the Lord.

Do you think he was afraid after seeing who was really on his side?

Do you think he would’ve been afraid had he already known there was an army already there & ready to do battle for them?

No, I’m guessing the story would’ve gone more like this,

the servant with puffed out chest, “I wish that Syrian “would” come down here to see them get what’s coming to them.

Friend, no matter what issue you are facing today, or possibly getting ready to face, or maybe you just got done facing one.

Believe that God has already sent an army to defend you in this Battle.

And Like Elisha, you will not be scared to face the enemy you are dealing with Because, greater is He who is in you that he who is in this world.

1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

If there is something you are facing right now or have faced, be strong and be of good courage.

Because Jesus said in

John 16:33 (CSB)

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”

Don’t lose hope in your suffering, although things may look bleak, or even impossible from your perception, remember, we serve a God that loves to heal, loves to redeem, and loves to bless you in your health, relationships, and your finances.

All of our life’s issue, whether for the good or the bad, they all bow down before Jesus,

All of your problems have to answer to Jesus.

He hasn’t failed making

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

... all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NKJV)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.