By Greg Laurie
At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and
among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife as a
maid. —2 Kings 5:2
In 2
Kings 5 we read of a young Israelite girl, whose name we don't even know, that
had been kidnapped and carried away to Syria. How easily she could have been
bitter against God for allowing this to happen. And certainly she could have
been angry with the people she was working for as a slave.
So when her master Naaman was stricken with leprosy, she could have
thought, He deserves it. But that isn't the way she felt at all. She was concerned for him.
Her heart went out to him. And she saw the opportunity to tell Naaman about a
prophet in Israel named Elisha who could pray for him. Elisha was Elijah's
successor. God was working through him and had used him to raise someone from
the dead. Like Elijah, he had miracle-working power.
This
girl had somehow heard about Elisha. So she said to Naaman's wife, "I wish
my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his
leprosy" (2 Kings 5:3).
It
reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, young Israelites who also were
taken captive. They were brought to Babylon, where the king changed their
names. But he couldn't change their hearts. They walked closely with God, as
did this young woman.
Imagine
how she felt when she heard how God had healed Naaman. I wonder if she ever
thought God would use someone like her to reach someone as significant as
Naaman. It's a wonderful thing when you have lived such a godly life that when
you speak to someone, they listen. This girl earned the right to bring the
message she did probably because she was such a great person and a hard worker.
She held fast to her faith, even in a foreign land.