It's never too late.
Have to ever felt like you "missed the boat" on an important life-event? For example, missing out on that perfect job, or failing to graduate with the degree you could have had. Perhaps you have failed when it comes to finances, relationships, or meeting that perfect person to raise a family with.
I want to share an encouraging passage in scripture that should give you a great deal of comfort and hope. It proves that worldly weapons can't solve problems in our life that have a spiritual dimension. As I read and studied this Old Testament passage, it very dramatically pointed me to a specific New Testament passage that I had previously read. In other words, I needed both the New and the Old Testaments to fully understand the truth I'm about to share.
It is the story of Naaman found in 2 Kings. Naaman was the commander over the Syrian army. He would be comparable to a more modern day general like George Patton. He was a prideful man, but one of his distinguishing characteristics was his leprosy.
It came to be that in one of the battles that Naaman was in, an unnamed Jewish girl was taken captive and became the servant to Naaman's wife. Now this young girl had the courage to speak up and tell Naaman's wife that she knew about a prophet who could heal Naaman's leprosy. She was referring to the prophet Elisha.
Naaman goes and tells the King of Syria about Elisha and the king tells Naaman to go to Israel with a letter written by the King of Syria himself. Naaman took the letter and a great deal of gold and silver along with 10 changes of clothing.
So Naaman goes to Israel and presents the letter to King Joram. The king is somewhat confused by the contents of the letter and ends up sending Naaman to Elisha. When Naaman arrives at Elisha's house with his horses and chariot, Elisha does not answer the door. Rather, Elisha sends a messenger to Naaman. Now I have to imagine that Naaman probably felt like he was getting the runaround, I know I would.
Ultimately, the messenger gives Naaman the solution to his leprosy. He is told to wash 7 times in the Jordan River. When Naaman hears this, he becomes furious. Naaman was expecting some type of ceremonial trickery to heal his leprosy. Additionally, Naaman complains that the Jordan River is too dirty and wanted to wash in a river that was cleaner, so he walked away in a rage. (Now as I read this part of the passage I felt very convicted of my own past. How many times had God put the solution to my dilemma right in front of me, but because of my pride I chose not to open the gift.)
Fortunately for Naaman, he had some loyal and thoughtful servants. They reminded him that he was a mighty man of valor, and if he had been told to accomplish something great, would he not have done it? After all, washing in a river was quite tame when compared to what he might have been required to do.
Once Naaman submitted, here is what happened: 2 Kings 5:14 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.
Here's the thing, and this is why the text and revelation about the text is so important. God performed a double miracle. He not only cured Naaman of his leprosy, he turned back the clock on his skin to that of a "little" child. I can just imagine how Naaman's servants reacted. Not only was Naaman's leprosy gone, but he now had the skin of a small child. (Can you imagine a baby-faced general?)
Stay with me because there's something more you need to know about this double miracle, and it appears in the New Testament in Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This truth comforts me about all the blessings I missed out on. If we are aligned with God's ways with a loving and submissive heart, then just like Naaman, God "works" to turn back the clock on the blessings we missed out on because we were living our lives apart form Him. That's the gift: If we allow Him to use "all things" from our past, including the messy and sinful things, He will turn "all things" into something good. In fact, I'm here to testify that these renewed blessings will have a much greater impact on our lives than the blessings we missed out on. There's no need for the shame we may have experienced in our past to have power over us any longer!
I am excited about this truth as it opens the door to another level of freedom that the world tells us is impossible to achieve. I would encourage you to study this passage and come to your own conclusions. It's never too late to "wash in the Jordan".
Your blessings renewed.
The ultimate gift.
I grew up in a small, historic town in New England. Life was very simple. Regardless of race, religion, or skin color, most everyone could clearly define what was good and what would be considered evil. Today, we are told by many politicians, pundits, and the mainstream media to tolerate various shades of evil. These proponents spin evil as “ it’s not that big of a deal”.
With no disrespect intended, I like to point out that that I was raised by a marine and a convent of nuns and a parish of priests. I was very active in sports growing up, so the character traits of pride and self- reliance was drilled into me both at home, at school, and on the field of play. However, as a young boy I saw and experienced a great deal of hypocrisy all around me. As God would have it, I wrestled with the contradictions of pride and hypocrisy for many years. I tried to be that “perfect” person who did good, butI failed over and over again because I had adopted the wrong belief system.
Some years ago I was listening to a sermon by a pastor at the Virginia Beach Community Chapel. He talked about how the Holy Spirit could actually reside in me. That was my “light bulb” moment. It was at that time I made a conscious decision to allow the Holy Spirit into my life. Everything changed from that point moving forward. The seed was planted and now it was up the me; or so I thought.
As I was attending my first Bible studies, one of the teachers proposed this path to the ultimate gift of salvation was as follows:
A - admit that you are a sinner.
B - believe that Christ died and rose again in order to allow you to have eternal life with Him.
C - confess your sins and commit your life to God and His ways.
Even though I understood these concepts in my head, I was very confused because I did not understand what came next.
It wasn’t ’t long after I received this ultimate gift of eternal life with Christ before I went sideways. It took me a number of years to realize that even though I received this wonderful gift, I hadn’t really unwrapped it. I just left it sitting under the Christmas Tree, so to speak. In other words, I did not understand my part in this newly formed relationship.
The apostle Paul defines the journey this way:
When we accept the Holy Spirit into our heart we are saved from the penalty of sin.
In the present tense we are being saved from the power of sin in our lives.
In the future, we will be saved from the presence of sin.
My problems were life in the present tense. I was weak in my beliefs and I did not understand that I possessed the power over sin if I truly believed in the death and resurrection of Christ. My faith was also weak. I hadn't provided the nutrient rich soil for my faith and beliefs to grow and strengthen. Admittedly, this is still learning process for me. I am not without struggle, as my flesh will be with me until I am with Him. However it’s nice to know, I don’t have to go thru the valleys of life alone.
The prophet Isaiah explained it this way in Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
This passage helped me understand that the only value I have is when God is working thru me. It's not about me working for God. This process of “molding the clay” has been very uncomfortable for me. I resisted this process many times, and still struggle with it to this day. However, I know where I went wrong in the past and I know how to get back on track if I go sideways.
In sports the adage is "no pain, no gain". I believe this truth also applies to my spiritual life. This process of enduring and abiding in Christ is further explain in John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
I encourage you to memorize this verse. When you are thinking about going off the reservation, bring it to mind. They are powerful words that can help you to focus on the best choice rather than just a good choice.
The gift of sanctification.
