Infertility Encouragement from Sarah's LaughterSample

He Almost Missed His Miracle

War hero. Highly respected. Valiant soldier. Leper.

Naaman was all of these. He had fought battles for the king and won. Townspeople taught their children to be like Naaman—strong and brave. Until the day his skin began deteriorating. Unclean. Defeated. Diseased.

But there was hope! A prophet of God was found who could call on the Almighty for help: Elisha. Naaman gathered his chariots and finest horses, then—in a grand display worthy of the national hero he was—journeyed with his entourage to Elisha’s home.

Imagine Naaman’s surprise when Elisha wouldn’t even receive him. Instead, he sent a servant with a simple message: “Go wash in the Jordan River, and you’ll be cleansed.”

Naaman’s rage was as impressive as his military record. This prophet wouldn’t even come to the door? Scripture records his fury. “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.’ ... So he turned and went off in a rage.”

Naaman, a man accustomed to command and control, almost missed his miracle because God—through the prophet Elisha—didn’t act religious enough. Because God’s plan didn’t conform to Naaman’s expectations, he was ready to reject it. It defied all logic. Can you imagine how thankful Naaman was for friends who convinced him—against sound logic—to trust God?

Has God’s plan for your life ever seemed out of line with the dreams you envisioned? How many times have you repeated Naaman’s words “But I thought…” Infertility is never part of the life story we pen for ourselves, but it certainly is part of God’s master plan for so many. When God doesn’t work the way you expect Him to, how do you respond?

Don’t give up on God’s plan for your family. Even if right now His plan seems as murky as the muddy waters of the Jordan River, find some way to trust Him again. Maybe His plan will unfold a little differently than you thought it would, but when it comes to pass, you’ll be grateful for His divine workings in your life.