10 September 2019
Don’t Try Harder
Jeremiah 29:13
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
On Sunday, we studied the history of Naaman, who was healed of leprosy. He was unimpressed with Elisha’s instructions to wash in a dirty river, but he was persuaded by his own men, so he was, in fact, healed. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” (2 Kings 5:13)
Just like Naaman, we all want God’s salvation a lot, but we also want to make sure we have something to do with it. God can change my heart, but I will have to help him with my will power and positive thinking. But God doesn’t require our help at all – just simple obedience.
Naaman was an impressive man with lots of means; he was ready to have an experience matching his expectations. An impressive person should do something impressive, but God doesn’t need our abilities for HIM to save US. Salvation is based on his love and kindness not our skills or worth.
Rob said on Sunday that “if I seek a better version of myself, I will never find it.” But if I seek the LORD with all my heart, I will find! We don’t put our trust in God so that he will make us better versions of ourselves; we come to him because he promises to make us more like his Son, Jesus.
My family doesn’t need a better version of me, they need me to be more like Jesus. So whatever I think I need to ADD, I won’t. God didn’t require anything extra from Naaman, and he isn’t requiring anything of me for me to save & help me. HE decided to generously give me the desire and the ability to please him (Philippians 2:13) and be like his Son – not to be a “better” version of me.
Dear God,
Help me seek you with all my heart today. Help me not pursue the futile exercise of trying harder today but to simply let you give me the desire and the ability to be like your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray, amen.
Don’t Try Harder
Jeremiah 29:13
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
On Sunday, we studied the history of Naaman, who was healed of leprosy. He was unimpressed with Elisha’s instructions to wash in a dirty river, but he was persuaded by his own men, so he was, in fact, healed. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” (2 Kings 5:13)
Just like Naaman, we all want God’s salvation a lot, but we also want to make sure we have something to do with it. God can change my heart, but I will have to help him with my will power and positive thinking. But God doesn’t require our help at all – just simple obedience.
Naaman was an impressive man with lots of means; he was ready to have an experience matching his expectations. An impressive person should do something impressive, but God doesn’t need our abilities for HIM to save US. Salvation is based on his love and kindness not our skills or worth.
Rob said on Sunday that “if I seek a better version of myself, I will never find it.” But if I seek the LORD with all my heart, I will find! We don’t put our trust in God so that he will make us better versions of ourselves; we come to him because he promises to make us more like his Son, Jesus.
My family doesn’t need a better version of me, they need me to be more like Jesus. So whatever I think I need to ADD, I won’t. God didn’t require anything extra from Naaman, and he isn’t requiring anything of me for me to save & help me. HE decided to generously give me the desire and the ability to please him (Philippians 2:13) and be like his Son – not to be a “better” version of me.
Dear God,
Help me seek you with all my heart today. Help me not pursue the futile exercise of trying harder today but to simply let you give me the desire and the ability to be like your Son, Jesus, in whose name I pray, amen.
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