Now I Know

The confession of Naaman after he comes to faith in the God of Israel. As the NLT puts it: Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Quite a turn of heart as a reaction to his healing from leprosy, which was the incurable disease of the day and greatly feared by all. After he is cured Naaman's conversion is immediate and final. He will worship the God of Israel only. He will no longer worship Rimmon, the (false) god of Aram.

When we follow Christ it ought to be exactly as Naaman did: Once we make the decision there should be no hesitating between the world of unbelief and faith. It should be immediate and final.

Prayer: Oh Lord God, may we use the faith of Naaman as a pattern for our own lives, and see in him your ability to change, in an instant, whomever you call to faith.

I Am Against You

Four words that, when spoken by the Lord of hosts, I hope I never hear! This is what the Lord says to Nineveh and the nation of Assyria in Nahum 2.13. This prophecy was probably given around 640 BC and by 590 BC, Babylon had conquered Assyria and Israel. So prophesied. So done.

When the Lord of hosts says I am against you, whether you are a nation or an individual, you are going down. He is sovereign. Nations are not; neither are individuals.