Faith and belief are essential to life in and with God. Unless you have it, nothing can happen in your life. Even God cannot do anything in your life. He is left at the door of our lives, knocking. That is what is explained to us by Jesus in the Gospels. One of the person commended for faith is the Gospel reading is Naaman, a Syrian.

Naaman was a Syrian in charge of the Army of his people. He great commander, and well respected by the Syrian King. But the apathy of the situation was that he had leprosy. On an occasion a Israelite slave girl, commented on the possibility of Naaman being cured by the prophet Elisha. He had hope, he believed, therefore he travelled to North Israel. He tasked by Elisha to bathe in the Jordan, which was apparently a dirty river at that time. He was, distraught at being ordered to do such a menial task, but humbled himself in obedience. And as such was rewarded by healing. Following this he professed his faith in Yahweh, and promised to be faithful in all matters.

Contrast this to some facts.

• After this incident, there is no record of other people approaching Elisha and being healed.
• The Northern Kingdom of Israel continued to grapple with idolatry, and as such suffered the consequence of not having faith in Yahweh, as it was lead to an exile, from which they could not come back.
• The situation continues in Jesus’ times also, where even the hometown people of Nazareth, looked with suspicion at Jesus, despite, Jesus fame of being a miracle worker.

Look at our selves today, why is it that nothing happens to us today? Have we assigned Jesus to being a fairy tale? i.e. We want to believe, yet understand nothing can happen for us and around us, through Jesus. Search your heart, John 3:36 says believing means living what you know to be true. Living it in all senses, speech, action, relating etc…