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It was
difficult times for her. It happened all of a sudden.
One day a group of raiders came in from Aram and
captured her from Israel and took her away. She became a
slave in an alien country. It was a dramatic shift, from
being the princess of a family to a slave girl. She was
forced to be a slave domestic help in a commander's
household. She had to obey her master without opening
her mouth. She ended up as a slave in a political and
financially powerful household. She could bring none of
her possessions from her home and had nothing, but she
had a treasure hidden in her heart The God of Israel.
She knew her God and the prophet through whom her God
spoke.
She Saw:
Then, one day she saw something that had been hidden
from every one's eyes. Her master Naaman had a problem
and He was worried about it and was hiding it from
everyone. He had leprosy! She saw a leper behind this
majestic looking warrior. The world saw him as a great
man, powerful with the whole army under his command.
People feared him, they revered him, they respected him,
and they obeyed him. This slave girl saw beyond what the
others saw.
She saw a desperate man who was in dire need!
She Understood:
This young slave girl from Israel understood the
need of this man. She understood who is behind the
shining armor. She had figured out that this man is
rotting from inside despite of all his medals and
honors. She also knew the consequence of the world
knowing about his problem. Naaman would have become a
social outcast in a day, had the common people knew
about his conditions. His honor and respect would have
gone with the winds in that society which shunned
lepers. She understood his fears and his heart cry!
She Knew:
She thought about her master's leprosy and knew
immediately what to do about it. As a young girl she had
listened to the stories of her ancestors. She knew about
the God of Israel and what He is capable of. She had
heard about the parting of the red sea, and all the
miracles that He had performed for her ancestors. She
also know what her God was capable of doing right then.
She believed in the supernatural ability of her God. She
also knew whom to approach, she knew about the miracles
that God performed through His prophet Elisha. She
thought about it and decided to act!
She Testified:
It would have needed a lot of courage for a slave to
speak before her master. It would have been all the more
difficult, if the master happened to be as powerful as
Naaman. She also knew the risk involved.
They could have questioned her how she knew about it!
They also could have killed her in order to prevent the
secret from becoming public through her. She risked her
life and asked him… 'I know something… do you know? She
said, we have a God and we have a Prophet in Israel, if
our master could go to Samaria and meet him there, he
would be healed! She proclaimed her faith in Almighty
God before her oppressor and tried to help him. Naaman
saw the boldness of this slave girl and decided to try!
She glorified:
Naaman went seeking the God of Israel and His
prophet. God humbled him and performed a miracle through
his prophet Elisha. Naaman was healed! Naaman confessed
that, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world
except in Israel…” God's name was glorified through the
entire event. Naaman and all the people who went along
with him saw the miracle that took place right in front
of their eyes. The king of Aram also heard about the
miracle and I am sure that it influenced him also. The
little slave girl made all the difference!
Do you want to make a difference wherever you are? God
can use you as He used this slave girl. This little girl
not just saw but understood the problem. She could see
through Naaman's shiny armors, glittering medals and
flashy uniforms. Do you see through the people who are
rotting from inside but have a brave, bold, beautiful
façade? Are you willing to share the power of the
Almighty God who is desperately needed in their lives?
Are you bold enough to testify about your faith and God
and ask others 'I know…do you know?’
Five Fingers of Prayer………
1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers
by praying for those closest to you. They are the
easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as
C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty.”
2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for
those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes
teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and
wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep
them in your p rayers.
3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us
of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in
business and industry, and administrators. These people
shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need
God's guidance.
4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to
many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any
piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray
for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need
your prayers day and night. You should pray much more
for them.
5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest
finger of all. Which is where we should place ourselves
in relation to God and others, As the Bible says, "The
least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie
should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you
have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs
will be put into proper perspective and you will be able
to pray for yourself more effectively. Let's make a
decision and we start praying as I mentioned, God will
brighten their life through our prayers! God Bless!-
Selected.
Social networking poses risk for Christian students
When they're not sending text messages or tweets,
today's Christian college students are spending an
average of 18.6 hours a week engaged in social
networking activities.
A new study by Gordon College professors Bryan Auday and
Sybil Coleman shows that 49 percent of students at
evangelical schools spend at least an hour a day on
Facebook. That's in addition to other forms of social
media and electronic usage such as video games, blogs,
e-mail and Internet browsing. Five percent reported
spending more than 50 hours a week on social networking
sites.
"A surprisingly high percentage of Christian students
who frequently engage in electronic activities report
several troubling negative consequences," Auday says.
The study surveyed 1,342 students on four evangelical
Christian college campuses with an equal class
representation.
More than half (54 percent) reported that they were
"neglecting important areas of their life" due to
spending too much time on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
And 13 percent indicated they believe they are addicted
to some form of electronic activity because they cannot
stop. In addition, 21 percent felt that their level of
engagement with electronic activities at times caused a
conflict with their Christian values.
"Will the behaviors that are associated with spiritual
development ‹ such as prayer, Bible reading, attending
religious services, and serving others ‹ become
shortchanged due to lack of time and discipline on the
part of busy college students?" Coleman asks.
(Source: Pentecostal Evangel)
Riches of a different kind
A tax assessor came one day to a poor Christian to
determine the amount of taxes he would have to pay. The
following conversation took place:
"What property do you possess?" asked the assessor.
"I am a very wealthy man," replied the Christian.
“List your possessions, please," the assessor
instructed.
The Christian said:
"First, I have everlasting life, John 3:16
Second, I have a mansion in heaven, John 14:2
Third, I have peace that passes all understanding,
Philippians 4:7
Fourth, I have joy unspeakable, 1 Peter 1:8
Fifth, I have divine love which never fails, 1
Corinthians 13:8
Sixth, I have a faithful wife, Proverbs 31:10
Seventh, I have healthy, happy obedient children, Exodus
20:12
Eighth, I have true, loyal friends, Proverbs 18:24
Ninth, I have songs in the night, Psalms 42:8
Tenth, I have a crown of life, James 1:12”
The tax assessor closed his book, and said, “Truly you
are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to
taxation."
I pray that all of us will have this kind of tax free
"wealth."
God Bless You ! - Selected.
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