What is God Doing? 2 Kings 5

The incident is this: A dude named Naaman is the general of the Aramean army.  He's the right hand man to the King.  The only thing is, he's afflicted with a skin condition that's both uncomfortable and embarrassing.  Naaman is a great warrior.  He's also responsible for the death of the father of the king of Israel (Jehoram)

So, when Naaman shows up on Jehoram's doorstep with a letter from the Aramean King saying, "I heard your God can heal my #1 general," Jehoram is understandably upset, thinking this is a set up.

Now, as Paul Harvey says, is the rest of the story.  Naaman journeyed to Israel because his wife had an Israelite woman as a servant.  This young woman, who is never named, says that her God can heal Naaman of his condition.  I'm sure Naaman's wife was excited about that!  The faith this nameless young woman shows is amazing.  She doesn't apologize for worshiping the God of Israel, she doesn't justify her claims or put strings on them, she simply says, "I know what my God can do."

This leads Naaman to his confrontation with Jehoram.  Things are tense, but Elisha the prophet is walking by and he says, "Take seven baths in the Jordan river, and you'll be healed.  More than that, you'll also know that God is at work here and I'm God's prophet." 

Naaman balks at the idea.  Why?  Because:
1) Everyone knows foreign rivers aren't as good as rivers back home
2) Seriously?  All it takes is 7 baths in a row?  Too easy.  Where's the epic quest.  Shouldn't he be assigned a hobbit or something and have to toss a ring into a volcano?
3) Naaman is kind of a big deal.  Elisha should recognize it.  His cure, likewise should be a big deal.

Naaman ends up doing it.  God ends up cleansing him.  God ends up glorified.  Elisha gets credit.  King Jehoram still looks a little paranoid.  The unnammed servant girl continues to serve. 

So what have we learned?  The lesson, I believe, is not to think too highly of ourselves, or too highly of how we think God should act.  The anonymous young woman provides a prime example of faith in God.  Naaman didn't get it.  Elisha didn't get it.  King Jehoram didn't get it.  But she did.  Whatever else may be said about her, her faith was confident.