THE PRACTICAL VS THE SPECTACULAR

“And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” ~ II Kings 5:13

REFERENCE:

II Kings 5:1-14

The spectacular and supernatural often impress people. We forget that we live in a world with tangible realities that God created and whose laws He rarely violates but works through to achieve His purposes. God does miracles, but not always. The tired person will need rest and not pray for supernatural strength. Elijah was once weary, and God gave him food. We expect God to move spectacularly, so we fail to see Him in His practical manifestations. 

Naaman was humiliatingly sick. No pauper in Syria would exchange their skin for his, although he was an accomplished war general. Considering his great wealth and honor, he tried everything to get well, yet he was no better. He heard that Israel had a cure and met the prophet with a luxurious retinue. On getting there, he met an unusual prophet, Elisha.

You would expect a prophet of God to ask for a minstrel, raise an altar for sacrifice, or get into an ecstatic gyration, but no. He sent word from his room to Naaman to dip in the Jordan seven times to get his cure. Naaman was furious. He expected the spectacular. He said, “I thought the prophet would come out and call on the name of his God, wave his hands over the leprosy, apply some balm, and heal me.” Naaman turned to go home, but his servants called him back. He would have missed his cure because he sought the spectacular and missed the practical.

A man was caught in a flood and told to evacuate his home. He calmly refused, saying God would save him. The waters flooded the streets, rising above the foundations of houses. A rescue team came in a rubber boat and called to him; he again refused, saying God would save him.

The storm increased, and the flood water entered the windows. He perched on his roof. A helicopter came, and he refused, saying again that God would save him. At last, he drowned. On the other side, angry and bitter, he questioned God, “Why didn’t You save me? I kept my faith till the end!” And God replied, “I tried. I called and sent a boat and a helicopter. But you wouldn’t come.” He missed God in the ‘practical’ because he looked for the spectacular.

PHOTO QUOTE

ADDITIONAL TEXTS:

I Samuel 15:22, Isaiah 48:18, and Luke 16:10-11

9Like
0Dislike
100% LikesVS
0% Dislikes

TO DO:

Is there something that God is drawing your attention to do that you have not done? It may look straightforward and unconnected to the big things you desire, but God says to take that first step. Make a move, make that call, write that letter, give the money, exercise, drink more fluids, etc. These look insignificant, but they are the ‘practical’ that will trigger the spectacular for you.