I thought that he would surely come out and stand there
to invoke the LORD his God,
and would move his hand over the spot,
and thus cure the leprosy.
How rigid are we in imagining how the LORD might choose to work? Do we assume that he will only act in a certain way or only heal certain (presumably holy) people?
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.
The LORD is asking us not to limit him with our expectations. Our expectations do just that. They confine the ways in which the LORD will show his blessings and the people to whom he will show them. He wants to heal us. But we need to be willing to submit our will to his and the ways he chooses for us. He may not have his prophet just move a hand over us. It may not be enough to bathe just once in the Jordan. We might have to do it once, again, and seven times to be cleansed. But if we get frustrated at attempt six, thinking the LORD couldn't really mean this, and we stop attempting it, it is our loss.
The LORD wants to make all things new, starting with our hearts. He wants to give us the hearts (and eventually the flesh) like little children. He wants us to be made clean. Let us do whatever he asks of us to receive those blessings. When we hear from him, let's not second guess it. Let's thirst for his touch so much that we pursue him no matter what.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
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