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TEXT: 2 Kings 5:1-19
ONE time there was a little girl who did not live with her mother and daddy. She lived with Captain Naaman and his wife. Captain Naaman was a very smart man. He was the one who told all the soldiers what to do. He had everything he could want to make him happy but Naaman was not happy at all. He felt so sad, oh, so sad and so did Mrs. Naaman.
Captain Naaman had a bad sickness called leprosy. Leprosy is a very, very bad disease. No one knew how to make people well that had it. Great big sores would come on an arm or a leg and they would hurt. No one in all the land could help Captain Naaman.
Captain and Mrs. Naaman were probably very good to this little girl. She did the work they wanted her to do. She loved them and did many things to help Mrs. Naaman.
The little girl found out that Captain Naaman had this bad sickness called leprosy that no one could make well. This little girl knew about God. She knew God could make any sickness well no matter how bad it was.
She went to Mrs. Naaman and said that she wished Captain Naaman would go to Samaria to the man of God, named Elisha. He would help Naaman get well.
Mrs. Naaman told Captain Naaman what the little girl had said. So Naaman and some of his soldiers went to the country about which the little girl had told them. They wanted Elisha to pray for Naaman’s leprosy.
When they got to Elisha’s house, he did not come out to talk to Naaman. He just sent one of his helpers out to tell Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan River seven times. Then he would be healed.
Naaman was mad because Elisha told him to do such a thing as that. The Jordan river looked dirty, and Naaman just was not going to get into that muddy water. He wanted to get well without having to do what he was told to do.
The soldiers asked Captain Naaman to try it and maybe he would be well again. Captain Naaman still did not want to, but finally decided he might as well try it.
Captain Naaman and his soldiers went down to the river. Slowly, step-step-step, Naaman walked into the water. Step-step-step out a little deeper. Naaman dipped down into the water and up. He looked at himself. No, the bad leper spots were still there. Elisha had told him to dip into the water with his whole body seven times. One-two-three-four-five-six-seven. He had only gone into the water one time.
It may have been hard for Naaman to go down into that water seven times, but he did it. Down-up, and down-up and down-up again. One-two-three-four-five-six, and the last time, seven. Will the leprosy be all gone? Will Captain Naaman be healed and all well again?
Up came Naaman. He looked at his body. Yes! Yes! He was healed. He was all well. Not one sore spot of leprosy could he see. His skin was all well; and he was clean.
Oh, how glad Naaman was that just a little girl had remembered what her own people had taught her about God. How glad she was, too, that she could be a real helper for God and tell Captain and Mrs. Naaman how God can make sick people well.
She knew how to get the best help. She knew all anyone had to do was to ask God for help.
Captain Naaman was so happy to be well, he wanted to give Elisha a present for telling him what to do. Elisha would not take any present. He knew and Naaman also knew that it was God who had made the leprosy go away.
That little girl could have been mad at Captain Naaman for taking her away from her father and mother one time when they had a war, but she was not. She wanted Naaman to be well and happy. She loved God and knew no matter where she went, she could always take God in her heart and work for Him; and so can we.
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