“Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.’ The prophet answered, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.’ And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.” (2 Kings 5:15-16)
Naaman was healed. It was a simple gift from God received by a simple act of faith — washing in the river as he’d been told to by a servant of the prophet. It was also a powerful miracle — one that no god of Naaman’s people had been able to give to him.
Now Naaman wanted to pay for it. Obviously, being healed was a valuable thing. What was it worth? We know from verse five that Naaman had brought with him about 750 pounds of silver and 150 pounds of gold and 10 sets of valuable clothing. In today’s market, that would be worth at least $150,000. Elisha wouldn’t touch a dime of it.
Why? Because it was God’s gift to Naaman, not something Naaman could earn or buy or conquer. All he could do was to accept it. Too many of us, after receiving God’s free gift of salvation in Jesus, start looking for ways to “pay God back.” We cannot. All we can do is love and worship Him for it.
Think: Do you feel like you have to do something to earn a little piece of your salvation from sin and death? Why is it so hard for us to see that the bill is already paid in full?
Pray: Thank God for healing Naaman for free and for welcoming you into His family through Jesus for free, too.
Do: Make a quick list of all the really valuable things in your life that you did not earn or pay for.