Keep Dipping
Second Kings 5:14 tells us: "So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child's, and he was healed."
I have often wondered what Naaman was thinking after the first dip.
Did he immediately examine his hands? Did he search his arms for signs that something had changed? Did disappointment begin whispering, "This isn't working?" The Bible doesn't tell us. It simply tells us that he dipped again. Then again. Then again. One dip became two. Two became three. Three became four.
Can you imagine if Naaman had stopped after the sixth dip? He would have missed the miracle by one act of trusting God. Yet, Naaman was obedient to the invitation, and he kept dipping, fulfilling the instructions he received.
How many times have we been tempted to quit because we didn't see immediate results? We prayed once. We forgave once. We gave once. We encouraged once. We trusted once.
Then, because nothing seemed to change, we quietly concluded that nothing ever would. But the Father is often doing His deepest work long before we can see His greatest results.
Every dip was an act of faith. Every dip declared, "I trust what God has said more than what I currently see.” That is the very heart of walking by faith.
Notice something else. Naaman was not healed because there was something magical about the Jordan River. The river had no power. The power was in the God who gave the invitation, and it all began the moment he heard those words to “get up and go.”
Naaman responded in faith. Isn't that the Christian life? Shouldn't that be our life? There is no power in our striving. No power in our performance. No power in trying harder.
The power has always belonged to God. Grace invites. Faith responds. God transforms.
Perhaps today you feel as though you've been taking the same faithful steps without seeing much change. Keep praying. Keep loving. Keep forgiving. Keep serving. Keep trusting. More emphatically, keep dipping.
Not because your persistence earns God's favor. His favor has already been poured out through Christ. You continue because the One who made the promise is faithful. And He always finishes what He begins.
One final thought. Naaman didn't merely receive healthy skin. The Scriptures tell us his flesh became like that of a little child.
What a beautiful picture of our Father's work. He doesn't simply improve us. He renews us. He restores what sin has stolen. He delights in making all things new.
The Father is not merely interested in changing your circumstances. He is interested in making you whole. That every miracle begins with hearing His voice.
And that the Father is not asking you to produce the miracle; He is gently & simply inviting you to participate in it.
Points to Ponder:
Where in my life am I tempted to stop “dipping” because I have not yet seen the results I hoped for?
What might God be doing beneath the surface that I cannot yet see?
Do I trust what God has said more than what my current circumstances appear to show?
Am I trying to produce the miracle myself, or am I simply responding in faith to God’s invitation?
What faithful step is God asking me to keep taking today: praying, forgiving, loving, serving, or trusting?
Prayer:
Father, thank You that I can dip into Your presence and faithfulness. Strengthen my faith to trust that You are at work, even when I cannot see the results. Help me to keep dipping, believing, obeying, and trusting You to complete the work You have begun in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.