Hi everyone, its aunt Fernita
Today's story is called namaan and the dirty water
The memory verse is from john chapter 1 verse 16
It says: "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another"
Today's message is God's grace is for everyone
can you do something for me? can you touch your elbows?
Now i'd like for you to rub you index fingers together
which could you feel more?
your elbow or your index fingers?
There are many more nerves on your fingers than on your elbow
God gave us special nerves to help us know when we touch something hot or cold
hard, soft or painful
People who have leprosy
lose the ability to feel those things
here's what happened to one man who had leprosy
Namaan was a commander of an army in Arab, that's Syria
He was famous for winning battles
and he was a close friend of the king
One day, this warrior got very sick
he skin began to dry up
it turned white and began to fall off
And he was losing his ability to feel things
Namaan had leprosy
a disease no doctor could cure
a young Israelite women who worked for Namaan's wife
she was a captive from one of Aram's raids in Israel
the girl now lived far away from home, among Israel's enemies
But she had not forgotten the great things God had done for Israel
"Why doesn't my master Namaan go to ask the prophet in Israel to heal him?"
"Elisha could ask God to cure the leprosy" she asked Namaan's wife
Namaan had seen every doctor in Aram , he tired every medicine
Nothing had worked, Elisha was his last hope
Namaan led several troops of arammian soldiers to Israel
wagons followed
Loaded with treasure to pay for a miracle cure
what a strange sight this must have been
But Elisha didn't give Namaan any medicine
He sent his servant to tell Namaan to go wash himself
Not just anywhere, but in the Jordan river which flowed nearby
Namaan was frustrated
Elisha hadn't even talked to him
He had expected that Elisha would ask the God of Israel to do something big
But all he had been told to do was to dip himself in a dirty river?
not once but 7 times?
he was ready to go home
If he was going to wash himself, he would do it at home
the rivers near his home ran fast and clear
The Jordan was a muddy stream
not much wider than a camel path
Fortunately one of Namaan's servants stopped him
"If Elisha had asked you to do something big,"
" would you have done it?"
"Well of course i would." Namaan thought
He had conquered an entire country
there was no big thing he couldn't do
except to heal himself
the servant continued "Then what is so hard about doing such a little thing."
Namaan thought about it
Then he made up his mind
He would do what God's prophet said
He went to the Jordan river
6 times he lowered himself into the water
nothing happened.
As he rose from the water the 7th time
Something had changed.
He pale, dry skin was gone
He was covered with a soft healthy skin of a young man
Not only was he changed outside
Namaan had also changed inside
"I know that the God of Israel is the only true God"
Only the love of God can make a captive servant girl be kind to her captors
Only the power of God could work miracles through the prophet Elisha
Only God's grace could heal a formed warrior of his sickness Only the power of God could work miracles through the prophet Elisha
Only God's grace could heal a formed warrior of his sickness
God wants to give his gifts of grace to everyone, including you