When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.
2 Kings 5:8-12
During 2026, Peachtree Church is inviting everyone into Cultivate, a churchwide discipleship plan centered on the fruit of the Spirit and the kind of life God longs to grow in us. Throughout the year, we’ll explore how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control take shape in everyday life through the Spirit’s work. Cultivate brings together worship, Scripture, group guides, and meaningful practices designed to meet you where you are and support growth in ways that fit your season. These twice-weekly devotionals are one way to stay connected, offering reflection and grounding for daily life with God. Whether you engage in many ways or just one, you’re invited to be part of this shared journey of becoming more rooted in who God has created and called you to be.
Devotional
In seventh grade, our science teacher gave us a test on one of the first days of school. The instructions were simple, starting with the first one: “Read all directions before beginning the test.” What followed was a long list of progressively more difficult tasks before the final direction, which read: “Ignore all previous directions. Sign your name and turn in your paper.”
In the midst of this passage from 2 Kings, Naaman, the commander of the armies of Aram, has sought to be healed of his leprosy by the prophet Elisha. Rather than deigning to speak directly with Naaman, Elisha sent him a messenger giving him directions of all that he needs to accomplish to be healed of his seemingly uncurable disease. Elisha’s prescription is simple: wash seven times in the Jordan River.
Rather than follow the directions that he was given, Naaman lost his temper, as he had hoped that Elisha would offer a spectacle in the act of curing the leprosy. He was not angry that a cure had been offered; he was angry that it was a simple cure, which offended his sense of importance. I can understand Naaman’s attitude to an extent, as he would have been treated as an outcast due to his disease, even as he would have been valued within Aram for his tactical and strategic acumen that allowed him to command the armies. He didn’t want a simple and easy fix to his problem; he wanted to feel as though he had earned his cure.
In the midst of the interplay between the commander and the prophet, I keep seeing echoes of the manner in which I can feel when God offers me grace as the source of forgiveness, while I can so often feel as though I need to do something special and magnificent to earn that forgiveness. The beauty of the manner in which God works is that we do not need to undergo a mighty quest to find redemption, we simply need to follow the directions of the simple task that anyone can accomplish.
For Reflection
- When has God asked you to do something simple, yet you have balked at the simplicity of the task?
- In your experience, why is it easier for us to try difficult things than to be willing to follow simple directions?
Prayer
Lord God, you desire for us to follow you, and you have offered us an easy path forward, not with onerous tasks that no one can accomplish, but a straightforward, simple journey to draw closer to you. Help us to be willing to follow you, not only in the arduous tasks but in the easy call that you have offered us each. Amen.
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Devotionals