💦 2 Kings Chapter 5 — The Healed Commander

👑 When pride gets in the way

🌅 Introduction

Sometimes people think:
“I don’t need help.”
“I can do it on my own.”
“I’m important.”

But what happens when even power and wealth can’t help?

This story is about a man
who had everything —
and yet needed something truly essential.

📖 The Bible story

Naaman was a great commander in the land of Aram.
He was brave.
He won battles.
The king trusted him.

Everyone admired him.

But Naaman had a problem.

He had leprosy.

It was a terrible skin disease.
No one could heal it.
No doctor.
No priest.
No king.

As strong as Naaman was —
against this disease, he was powerless.

👧 A little girl with great faith

In Naaman’s house, a young girl from Israel worked.
She had been taken captive during a raid.

Still, she wasn’t bitter.
She served faithfully.

One day she said to Naaman’s wife:

“Oh, if only my master were with the prophet in Samaria!
He could heal him of his disease.”

What a brave thing to say!
A little girl —
with great trust in God.

Naaman’s wife passed it on.
And soon the king of Aram heard about it too.

📜 A letter to the wrong place

The king of Aram wrote a letter
to the king of Israel.

He sent Naaman off with gifts:
silver, gold, and expensive clothes.

When the king of Israel read the letter,
he was terrified.

“Am I God, that I can kill and make alive?
He’s only looking for an excuse to start a fight!”

In fear, he tore his clothes.

But Elisha, God’s prophet,
heard about it.

He sent word to the king:

“Why have you torn your clothes?
Let him come to me.
He will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

🚿 A simple instruction

Naaman came with horses and chariots
to Elisha’s house.

He surely expected something big.
Maybe a grand welcome.
Maybe a special prayer.

But Elisha didn’t even come out himself.

He only sent a messenger with the message:

“Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan.
Then your flesh will be restored.”

That was all.

No big show.
Just a simple river.

Naaman became angry.

“I thought he would come out!
He would call on his God!
He would wave his hand over the sick spot!”

And then he said, upset:

“Aren’t the rivers in my homeland better than all the waters of Israel?”

Full of rage, he wanted to leave.

🤲 Good advice from servants

But his servants dared to say something:

“My father, if the prophet had asked you to do something great,
wouldn’t you have done it?
How much more, when he only says:
Wash, and you will be clean!”

Naaman thought about it.

They were right.

It was his pride
that held him back.

🌊 Dunking seven times

So Naaman went to the Jordan.

He stepped into the water.

One dip.
Nothing happened.

Two.
Three.
Four.

Maybe he grew impatient.

Five.
Six.

Still no change.

But God had said: seven times.

The seventh time he went under.

When he came up again,
his skin was clean —
soft like a little boy’s.

He was healed!

🙏 A new heart

Naaman returned to Elisha.

Now he was no longer proud.

He said:

“See, now I know
that there is no God in all the earth
except in Israel.”

He wanted to give gifts.
But Elisha refused.

You can’t buy God’s grace.

Naaman only asked for some soil from Israel,
so that from then on he could serve the Lord alone.

💰 Gehazi makes a mistake

But the story isn’t over yet.

Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, thought:

“My master took too little.
I will run after Naaman and get something.”

He lied.

He said Elisha needed money and clothes.

Naaman gladly gave him some.

But when Gehazi came back,
Elisha asked:

“Where have you been?”

Gehazi answered:
“Your servant went nowhere.”

But God had seen everything.

Elisha said:

“Is this the time to take money?”

And suddenly Gehazi became leprous —
just like Naaman had been before.

🟣 Summary

Naaman was powerful —
but sick.

A little girl showed him the way.

He had to overcome his pride
and obey a simple instruction.

God healed him —
and changed his heart.

But Gehazi showed:
Greed and lies lead in the wrong direction.

💚 Message for children today

Sometimes our pride gets in the way.

Maybe you think:
“I know better.”
“I don’t need advice.”

But God’s way is often simple.

Humility opens the door to miracles.

And never forget:
God can speak through children —
just like through the little girl.

💭 Thought prompt

🔸 Is there something where your pride is holding you back?
🔸 Do you listen to good advice?
🔸 Do you trust that God also uses simple ways?

🧒 👧 👦

💌 Invitation to 2 Kings Chapter 6

🪓 When an axe falls into the water — and floats

A borrowed tool gets lost.
An invisible army protects a prophet.
And a whole army suddenly goes blind.

Chapter 6 shows:
God sees more
than we can see.

And sometimes the invisible help
is much greater than the visible danger. 🌟

🔔 Teaser for 2 Kings Chapter 6

👀 When God opens our eyes

A borrowed axe falls into the water —
and something impossible happens.

An enemy army surrounds a city —
but God’s invisible army is greater.

And a king realizes:
You can’t outsmart God’s plans.

👉 Chapter 6 is about invisible protection,
surprising miracles,
and the truth that God sees far more than we do. 🌟